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Watch: Jokic's ejection draws boos from Chicago crowd
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic. Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Watch: Nikola Jokic's ejection draws boos from Chicago crowd on Serbian heritage night

By Adam Gretz  |  Last updated 12/13/23

It is not often that the ejection of a visiting team's best player will inspire anger from fans, but that scene unfolded on Tuesday night with Chicago Bulls fans.

Chicago fans were enraged late in the second quarter when Denver Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic was immediately ejected for reportedly making a profane comment to an official following a missed call. 

Jokic admitted after the game that his language probably crossed the line, but he and head coach Michael Malone were still stunned it led to such an instant ejection from the game.

What made the whole situation even more surreal was that Chicago fans — and the Bulls announcers — were equally dumbfounded by the decision. 

The Bulls were celebrating Serbian heritage night on Tuesday and had a massive Serbian turnout in the arena specifically to see Jokic — who is from Serbia — in his only trip to the United Center this season.

They did not even get to see one half of basketball from him before he was tossed from the game. 

Even without Jokic for the second half the Nuggets still managed to win the game 114-106. Jokic finished with four points in his 16 minutes. 

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