Today is Nikola Jokic’s birthday. And what do you do on birthdays? You celebrate the person’s life, their accomplishments, their dreams and their personality. You give thanks for having that person in your own life. You also get to poke fun at them a little bit. And that means we’re going to forego a highlight reel of Jokic’s passes or talk about his triple-doubles today, and instead look at another part of him that not everyone is familiar with.
We’re going to rank the best of the best “Jokes with the Joker” promos. If you’re unfamiliar with “Jokes with the Joker”, during each home game the Nuggets show a clip of Jokic as a stand-up comedian telling a horribly written joke. Why? You can’t call yourself “the Joker” and not tell jokes. Duh.
For all the flack the Nuggets get for being poor on social media, there is one thing they have done absolutely right and that’s posting all of the “Jokes with the Joker” videos online. There’s a whole archive of them. I’ve watched all of them. I laughed. I cried. And then I decided to write about it. I fully understand that a lot of people, if not most people, don’t like “Jokes with the Joker” and think they’re horrible and not funny. They’re probably right.
For simplicity’s sake and for the well-being of the common reader, I narrowed it down to my top five jokes, ranked very loosely based on the quality of the joke, the delivery and Nikola’s reaction.
5. Tissue Dance
Ah, the classic tissue dance. Brings me back to my elementary school days.
4. Skeleton
LMAO he actually said “stupid” after this one. Do you think the Nuggets had him film all of these in one sitting, and by the time “Skeleton” came around he was just so sick of all of these? Amazing.
3. Space Party
I like this one because I just imagined Jokic floating around in space and then throwing a party. I need to go to bed.
2. Kangaroo
HE ACTUALLY JUMPED! And I hate to say it, but that might be the highest he’s ever made it off the ground.
1. Pig Karate
Happy Birthday, Nikola! You keep doing you.