Nikola Jokić, Nuggets Fans Pressure Refs Into Calling Rare Violation on Giannis Antetokounmpo

Denver’s big man led the way to a whistle that’s almost unheard of in the NBA.

One of the most random yet constant complaints NBA fans will notice if watching the Milwaukee Bucks is how closely Giannis Antetokounmpo toes the line of a 10-second free throw violation. While many players have pleaded for officials to call the Milwaukee star for the violation, it rarely works.

For at least one night, Denver Nuggets' two-time MVP Nikola Jokić managed to get the attention of the officials. Before that, he also had the fans in the stands and the television announcers clocking Antetokounmpo at the free-throw line. But in the end, Jokić could celebrate his lobbying for a violation working.

Jokic lobbies the officials into calling a 10-second free throw violation on Giannis pic.twitter.com/nTkmquX5mF

— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) January 30, 2024

It’s a pretty amazing scene, and to see a free throw violation called that late in the game makes it even more incredible. At the end of the clip, just before the whistle was blown, Jokić can be seen attempting to get the official’s attention and then proceeding to celebrate.

The Nuggets went on to win 113–107 behind another dominant performance from Jokić, who posted a triple-double with 25 points, 16 rebounds and 12 assists while spoiling Doc Rivers’s debut for the Bucks.