Mad Dog Russo Claims The 1986 Boston Celtics Would Sweep Nikola Jokic’s Denver Nuggets

Russo called Nikola Jokic an All-time player, but didn't lavish the same praise on the team.

3 Min Read

Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Chris ‘Mad Dog’ Russo weighed in on the Denver Nuggets championship win and wasn’t particularly impressed.

Speaking on First Take, “The ’86 Celtics would beat this team in four games,” he said. “I mean it’s a nice ball club, they got a Hall of Famer in Jokic who is wonderful, and Murray is a very good player, but they would get mauled, and they would get swept. Parish, Walton, McHale, and Bird… but having said that, it’s a nice ballclub, but from a championship level, his is a good team. This is not an all-time team we’re watching here. But Jokic is an all-time player.”

The Nuggets defeated the Miami Heat in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, with a final score reading 94-89. Jokic led the way with 28 points, 14 rebounds, and 4 assists. The win also marked the team winning their first-ever NBA title.

While Russo’s take surely comes in a dampener, his thought does make sense considering the ’86 Celtics won the NBA Finals against the Houston Rockets and comprised of some legendary players who would be more than formidable opponents for the Nuggets unit. But a win is a win, and Denver, who had been clinical throughout the season, rightfully deserved to hoist the silverware.


Mike Malone Wants The Nuggets To Become A Dynasty

Speaking to the media in the aftermath of the win, Nuggets head coach Michael Malone wanted the team to become a dynasty.

“Pat Riley said something many years ago, I used to have it on my board when I was head coach in Sacramento,” he said. 

“It talks about the evolution in this game and how you go from a nobody to an upstart, from an upstart to a winner, winner to a contender, a contender to a champion. The last step after a champion is to be a dynasty, so we are not satisfied. We accomplished something this franchise has never done before. We have a lot of young, talented players in that locker room. We just showed through 16 playoff wins what we’re capable of on the biggest stage of the world.”

Now that the team has won its maiden title, the actual challenge begins now. While the Nuggets becoming a dynasty is not easy, they can surely be one of the teams capable of defending their title if they keep up their level of consistency. It surely won’t be easy next season, but for now, they are champions.

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Aaron Abhishek is an NBA columnist for Fadeaway World. He graduated from St. Joseph's College with a Bachelor's in Visual Communication and a Master's in journalism.His passion for the sport began when he saw Michael Jordan take his final shot in the NBA, and he considers himself fortunate to have been a part of the Kobe Bryant era. Now he writes basketball news and analysis while waiting for the Los Angeles Lakers to win their 18th title.When not watching and writing basketball, you can find Aaron suited to play cricket, putting in some hard yards at the gym, trying a new coffee, and supporting Arsenal. Expertise: NBAFavorite Team: Los Angeles LakersPrevious Work: MEAWW, Blue Man Hoop, Sportskeeda
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