Nuggets fans celebrate date of Malone’s bold move in 2016 to start Jokic as ‘Jokmas’ Posted Apr 12, 2026 Nikola Jokic’s rise to stardom began with what seemed like a bold coaching move at the time by current UNC basketball coach Michael Malone. Jokic was a second-round pick and was playing behind first-round pick Jusuf Nurkic when the Denver Nuggets’ coach went against conventional NBA logic in a decision that reshaped the franchise and Jokic’s career. (Tar Heel Tribune)