In early November tensions reached a boiling between point between the Denver Nuggets and Miami Heat. After a series of chippy exchanges, reigning league MVP Nikola Jokic flattened Markieff Morris during a sequence late in the fourth quarter.
Heat star Jimmy Butler, who is known for being a little rambunctious, didn’t take kindly to the move. He aggressively went after Nikola, leading to a strong reaction from his brothers. What they wanted to do to Butler speaks for itself.
In the aftermath a lot of threats from both sides were exchanged. This led to a pledge on behalf of the Jokic brothers that, the next time the Nuggets and Heat squared off, they’d be in Miami to protect their kin.
Well, the time has come. On Monday, these two teams will face off for the first time since the incident. And in the lead-up, Heat veteran Udonis Haslem offered a very stern warning to the Jokic brothers.
“I keep hearing about the Jokic brothers buying tickets to come to the game,” he told the Miami Herald. “They better stay in line and don’t come down there and start trouble. Miami is my city. It’s my city.”
Haslem didn’t stop there.
“What the hell you buying tickets for?” he continued. “To come do what? That’s my city. Don’t start nothing, won’t be nothing. Come enjoy the game and take your [butts] home. Ain’t nobody messing with your brother. We come to play basketball.”
Haslem has never been one to back down from a challenge. Not when it comes from stars like LeBron James, and definitely not when it comes from two guys who aren’t even in the NBA.
That’s one way to celebrate divorcing Johnny Manziel. https://t.co/jQ28nDRqn1
— Game 7 (@game7__) November 24, 2021
That said, the Jokic Brothers are a different breed.
How will Monday’s showdown ultimately go? Time will tell.
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A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
