Deion Sanders’ Colorado sideline had its share of familiar faces against Texas Tech, but Nikola Jokic still managed to be the one who stood out.
Colorado’s home dates under Sanders have never been shy about celebrity traffic. Folsom Field has seen names like Lil Wayne, Master P, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, DaBaby, C.C.
Sebathia, Terrell Owens, Michael Irvin and plenty of social media personalities. Still, the stream of big names around the program has quieted some since the 2024 season.
That changed a bit when the Buffaloes hosted the No. 11 Red Raiders, their first ranked home opponent of the season.
Former WWE star Bill Goldberg and former Denver Bronco Aqib Talib were among the notable guests, both with family connections to Colorado. Jordan Stallion also showed up, though even that wasn’t the biggest surprise of the day.
Jokic was.
The Nuggets star is tough to miss anywhere, and especially so when the game is within driving distance of Ball Arena. At roughly 7’0 and 285 pounds, he doesn’t blend into a crowd. But the bigger issue, as always, was his mood.
Before Jokic drew the most attention, his teammates had already arrived. Cam Johnson and newly acquired NBA All-Star DeMar DeRozan made their way to the east sideline without much fuss, then quickly became part of the action as fans recognized them.
DeRozan was especially active with the crowd, stopping for photos and chatting with young fans who swarmed the area. Johnson was there too, though he mostly seemed like DeRozan’s sidekick as the attention kept shifting toward the former All-Star.
Then Jokic appeared just outside the players’ tunnel, and the scene felt very on-brand.
He looked like a man doing his best to survive a social obligation. His body language said plenty, and for NBA fans it probably looked a lot like the version of Jokic who once delivered the classic “when is parade” moment after the Finals. That was the same Jokic who seemed crushed by the idea that a championship celebration would delay his trip home.
This wasn’t exactly a revelation. Jokic recently made minor news for saying he doesn’t enjoy the celebrity side of his job and often refuses to take pictures with fans in public.
At Folsom Field, he didn’t make himself available for photos, but he also didn’t object to being caught in them. He was there, he stood near DeRozan, and he let the moment pass around him.
The Nuggets’ presence made sense on more than one level. Jokic is from Serbia, DeRozan from Los Angeles and Johnson from western Pennsylvania.
Earlier this week, Sanders spoke with the Nuggets coaches and players and offered his usual words of encouragement. The Nuggets also held training camp at the CU Events Center, giving the trip an almost home-and-home feel.
By halftime, Colorado was up 7-3 on Texas Tech. The Red Raiders held a slight edge on the ground, while the Buffaloes had the better passing numbers. The game itself was following a script that didn’t quite match expectations on either side.
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