Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets held a scrimmage during training camp on Thursday at UC San Diego, with NBA referees officiating the contest. Marc Davis, J.T. Orr, and Jacyn Goble were the crew, and Jokic ended up speaking with them for about 10 minutes after the game ended.
Nuggets brought in NBA refs to officiate a scrimmage today and Nikola Jokic spent at least 10 minutes in conversation/demonstration with them after practice ended. pic.twitter.com/8CWlhNnIpH
— Bennett Durando (@BennettDurando) October 2, 2025
Jokic had referee Orr display a defensive stance near the free-throw line as he eurostepped and drove to the basket. The 30-year-old then intently listened to the explanation as he tried to get a greater understanding of the rules before the start of the new campaign.
The officiating was one of the big talking points last season. There were complaints about Oklahoma City Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander getting too many calls, and the Nuggets had to deal with him in the Western Conference Semifinals. They battled hard, but the Thunder ultimately won in seven games.
Interestingly, Gilgeous-Alexander attempted 63 free throws in that series, while Jokic was at 64. The two superstars basically cancelled each other out at the line, with 52 makes each. The officiating wasn’t what cost the Nuggets that series. They were just banged up a bit, and the Thunder took advantage.
As for this scrimmage, the Denver Post’s Bennett Durando reports that Jokic ended up on the losing side here as well. A group led by Jonas Valanciunas and Jamal Murray beat his team 35-32. The arrival of Valanciunas this summer is one of the reasons why there is so much optimism regarding the Nuggets heading into the season.
Jokic, who averaged 29.6 points, 12.7 rebounds, 10.2 assists, 1.8 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game in 2024-25, finally has a capable backup. That eases the load on the seven-time All-Star in the regular season and, crucially, the playoffs.
We saw Jokic getting worn down a bit in the playoffs against the Thunder, and he should be able to at least have a breather should the teams meet again in a year.
The Warriors Also Brought In Officials To Officiate A Scrimmage
In case you’re wondering if NBA officials being at training camp is normal, well, it is. The NBA sent three of them to officiate a scrimmage for the Golden State Warriors, and head coach Steve Kerr briefly touched on it during his press conference afterward.
“Today was NBA official day,” Kerr said. “So we had three NBA refs to ref the scrimmage, which was great. Presentation beforehand from Joey Crawford talking about the new rules and stuff.”
Kerr also revealed that the “high-five” rule was a big point of emphasis. He was fuming about defenders being allowed to hit shooters on the hand during the playoffs last season. Dillon Brooks notably hit Stephen Curry on multiple occasions when the Warriors faced the Houston Rockets, and the head coach had called for a rule change.
Well, the NBA has taken action. A defender hitting the palm or wrist of a shooter after he releases the ball will result in a foul. Kerr believes this was a needed change with player safety in mind, and it was.
