Deion Sanders visits the Nuggets in Boulder

A few years ago, Nikola Jokic was asked if he knew who Deion Sanders was. He didn’t.

Now he’s met the man known as Coach Prime.

Sanders spoke to the Denver Nuggets on Thursday as training camp continued in Boulder. A few blocks away, his Colorado Buffaloes are getting ready to host No. 12 Texas Tech in their Big 12 opener Saturday. The Nuggets are working toward their preseason opener Sunday against the Utah Jazz at the CU Events Center.

When in Boulder, it's always Prime Time pic.twitter.com/0ahlZJMRGy

— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) October 1, 2026

Sanders opened with a message about pressure.

“What you do in that moment is everything. But you got to prepare for it,” Sanders told the team, documented by his son on YouTube. “You can’t sidestep it or negate it. That moment is coming, and some of you going to make it because of what you did in the moment, and some of you going to leave because of what you didn’t do in the moment.”

Then he took questions, and the Nuggets’ stars lined up to ask them.

DeMar DeRozan went first, asking how Sanders managed to play two sports at the highest level. Sanders, who played in both the NFL and Major League Baseball, said he almost added a third.

“I love basketball. But they didn’t allow me to play in college,” Sanders said. “They was going to let me play for the Hawks one time just to play three sports, and they didn’t allow me to do it.”

He even had a stat line ready for the Atlanta general manager: 10 points “just off the strength.”

Cameron Johnson asked about playing both sports at the highest level and Sanders said he probably could’ve been better at baseball but he didn’t love it.

Sanders then talked about growing up with no one in the stands to watch him play in high school, and said that’s why he created “Prime.”

“I was living dual personalities because I needed someone there to root me on,” Sanders said. “So I built that cat inside of me that wanted to get my mom out the hood.”

Jamal Murray asked what Sanders told himself on bad days. Sanders didn’t accept the premise.

“I don’t have bad days. I may have a bad moment. I may have a bad hour, a bad couple of hours, but I’m not going to have no bad day,” Sanders said. “That’s too long. I let that record play too long. I got to take it off and change it.”

Aaron Gordon asked about the balance between natural talent and hard work. Sanders said he never loved baseball the way he loved football. He also said talent was only the start.

“God gave it to me, but I still had to perfect it, package it and put it on TV so you could see it and appreciate it,” Sanders said.

He said anyone could check the Florida State film from 1985 to 1988 to see how he practiced.

“Practice was the game,” Sanders said. “So that’s why whenever I did my thing in the game, you ain’t see a lot come around me giving me congratulations, ’cause they done seen it in practice.”

Sanders closed with a challenge for a team a few years removed from the 2023 championship.

“It ain’t no reason for you guys not to get back to where you once were,” he said. “Only thing stopping you is y’all. Y’all got to get together as a team, as a unit, and understand some people going to have to sacrifice.”

Gordon then gave Sanders a custom “Coach Prime” No. 21 Nuggets jersey, a nod to the number Sanders made famous. The team made him an honorary Nugget and posed with him for a photo.

“God bless y’all,” Sanders said. “I pray to God y’all have a great season.”

Related

Nuggets turn one-night nemesis into backup point guard optionThe Nuggets say they’re fine, but Aaron Gordon named their problemChristian Braun says his ankle is fine after injury-plagued seasonNikola Jokic makes it clear again: He will sign an extension with the NuggetsFirst NBA MVP and Nikola Jokic admirer passes awayNikola Jokic still has best in the world belt, ESPN says