Nikola Jokic crumbles to the ground against the Heat with apparent knee injury

What’s the worst thing that could happen right now in Colorado sports? It’s a bad question to ask, as it puts the mere idea of something catastrophic into the air. But anyone who is being honest knows the answer.

If Nikola Jokic was seriously injured, it would be a blow unlike anything else the sports gods could dole out to the faithful in the Centennial State. Anything that would knock the greatest player in the world off the court for an extended period of time would be the state’s worst fears realized.

Everyone should hold their breath. The nightmare scenario might have unfolded on Monday night in Miami.

Nikola Jokic went down with an apparent leg injury vs. the Heat. pic.twitter.com/4kPf9HAOt8

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) December 30, 2025

Jokic isn’t just the Nuggets best player; he’s arguably the best player in the world. The center has won the NBA’s Most Valuable Player award three times and is currently the favorite to win it again this season. So there’s no equivalent to losing a player of his stature.

Denver entered the game with a 22-9 record, currently third in the Western Conference. They’ve kept their head above water despite being without two starters for an extended period of time, as Christian Braun and Aaron Gordon have been sidelined for weeks. In addition, they lost a third first-teamer this week, as Cam Johnson will be sidelined for four to six weeks with a knee injury.

But all of those setbacks pail in comparison to what it would mean to lose Jokic. There’s no recovering from that horrific news.

The Nuggets looked like a team with their heads in a fog after Jokic went down. The center crumbled to the ground at the end of the first half, with his team knotted in a 63-63 contest. After halftime, the Heat started on an 18-6 run, as Denver didn’t look interested.

Time will tell if the news is bad. But Monday night could be a memorable one in Colorado sports history, for all of the wrong reasons.

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