New Nugget gets in bar fight after Olympic qualifying game
Jul 8, 2024, 2:28 PM
Dario Saric had a weekend to remember for good and bad—the newest member of the Denver Nuggets signed a two-year deal to join Nikola Jokic and crew on Saturday but his Croatian team was bumped out of the Olympics in the final game of a qualifying tournament in Greece and that was followed up by a bar fight where the big man ended up on the floor.
According to TMZ, Saric and fellow national team player and Los Angeles Clippers center Ivica Zubac were involved in a heated physical dispute at a nightclub near Athens early Monday morning, just hours after Croatia had lost 80-69 to Greece, who is now headed to Paris.
TMZ Sports got the video below from Bolivar Beach Bar around 5:30 a.m. on Monday. The view starts with Zubac already fighting and possibly some security guards trying to grab him from behind. The chaotic scene shows Saric jumping into a crowd to try to help Zubac but Saric gets pushed and eventually ends up on the ground after he was put in a chokehold.
Ivica Zubac & Dario Saric were involved in a bar fight 😳
(Via @TMZ_Sports )
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) July 8, 2024
The two hoopers who leave Greece after a bar fight were on good form, with Saric even notching a triple-double in the event.
📊 19 PTS 10 REB 10 AST
Dario Saric with a world class performance dropping his first triple double with the senior National Team.⭐🇭🇷#FIBAOQT pic.twitter.com/A0Cg5BQOXP
— FIBA (@FIBA) July 2, 2024
Saric signed on a $10.6 million deal about 48 hours ago, according to ESPN. He averaged eight points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game for the Golden State Warriors last season. He’s also played in Philadelphia, Phoenix, Minnesota and Oklahoma City in a career that started in the 2016 season.
Listed at 6-foot-10 and 225 pounds, he looks to fill a long need for the Nuggets in backing up Jokic but also being able to play alongside the three-time MVP.
Given the altercation happened a world away, it’s hard to say if Saric will face any discipline for the night out.
