Former Nuggets coach George Karl took a shot at Denver on X, arguing the franchise hasn’t done enough to support Nikola Jokic’s rise into all-time company.
Karl wrote that Jokic had been headed toward rarefied air, but said that path stalled in Denver. “Some franchises aren’t capable of supporting their legends the right way.
Jokic was on a path to becoming one of the Top 10 players to ever play basketball.
That wasn’t realistic in Denver,” Karl posted.
The comment landed against a backdrop of uncertainty around Jokic’s future with the Nuggets, after Denver was bounced in the first round by the Minnesota Timberwolves last season despite finishing 54-28 and owning the third-best record in the West.
Jokic has spent 11 years with Denver since the 2015-16 season and has already built a résumé that includes three NBA MVP awards and a key role in the Nuggets’ 2023 championship run. He’s widely praised for his efficiency, his passing and his basketball IQ.
Some franchises aren’t capable of supporting their legends the right way.
— George Karl (@CoachKarl22) August 20, 2026
Jokic was on a path to becoming one of the Top 10 players to ever play basketball.
That wasn’t realistic in Denver.
Still, the criticism around him has never disappeared. Some have pointed to his defense, calling him less explosive on that end, while others have questioned his conditioning at times. The bigger debate, as Karl’s post underscored, is whether Jokic needs more elite seasons and more championships to push his place in the game even higher.
Karl knows the franchise from the inside. He coached Denver from 2005 to 2013, guided the team to the playoffs every season, and was named NBA Coach of the Year in 2013. His run there included stints coaching Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson.
But his exit from Denver was messy, marked by a contract-extension dispute, first-round playoff defeats and the departure of then-GM Masai Ujiri.
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