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So, I'm kind of curious, you've been in a few of these races now, whether you win or

don't win them, you're kind of just feeling toward the race and this just being a part

of it changed at all?

Have you come to sort of accept that this is just part of it more or do you feel more

opposed to it maybe than the first time you were involved in it?

I cannot control, I mean, I can control it but I cannot control it so if they're going

to put me in that conversation and it's been three or four years now so I think I'm kind

of used to it so I don't even pay attention anymore so probably a good problem to have.

Nicole and I said you're not used to it but this has become the norm, how, I guess, beyond

the realm of possibility was even winning the first, let alone the idea of winning three

in four years when you're a kid just playing basketball or making your way through before

you even, and then maybe just getting to the NBA that you'd be the best player in the league

through the last four years.

Yeah, I mean, I don't know, I have to be honest, I liked the last year and I didn't get it

and then we won a championship much better but, you know, it's a, I don't know what to

say, it's a journey, it's a process, it's a trusting in your teammates, teammates trusting

in you, it's just a whole collective effort that put me in front of the bright spotlight

and I'm kind of the guy but there is a lot of people, players, coaches, sand coaches,

development coaches, medical staff behind me, family, of course, and that you guys don't

see it and I'm just one of them.

You mentioned your family, how important, how much more does it mean having them in

the room with you when it gets announced and having their reactions too?

I mean, I didn't invite them, they just show up so, I'm like, who wants to drive, like

45 minutes here to get it, but it's nice, you know, it's a special moment, probably

I'm going to remember, what's the name, the whole life, so it's, I like to say, the legacy

for after a career.

Nicola, what is it about, sorry, what is it about winning and competing and playing in

the NBA you do love the most, what is it?

I mean, I think you said, like, competing in a high level, competing against the best

competing against the best coaches, competing in a tougher environment, you know, just lose

games, win games, you know, experience, you know, just being there in the big moments

and the big games.

Nicola, you know, I know you don't like trying to think about this, but you're now one of

nine guys that have won three MVPs and, you know, those are, you're in a really good company,

you know, is there ever going to be a point where you stop and think, like, oh my goodness,

I'm one of nine guys in NBA history to do this?

I just said it, I mean, when I won the first time, I was like, okay, this is cool, this

is nice, when I won a second time, the list was way shorter, and now the list is kind

of short, you know, so I'm just happy to be part of those guys, those group of guys, which

is not bad group of guys, right, so, like I said, I think it's a legacy for the after

the career, and, you know, I think I'm going to be more maybe proud of myself after career

than I am right now.

Nicola, I know you just said you save legacy stuff for after your career, but does being

a father changed how you view legacy at all?

Yes, in a good way, basketball doesn't mean that much, and, you know, probably that helps

me too, you know, it's a job, it's a thing that I like, of course, I like to do it, to

play the game, everything else, but yes, being father, and being father, that means that

you don't play just for yourself, or just the teammates you have, like background behind

you that's, maybe when you're older, you don't want them to look at your videos or whatever,

and say that you're bad, or, so, hopefully, I can talk a lot of trash when my kid or my

nephews grow up, so, I'm going to be a cool grandpa.

Nicola, right here, Deki once told me that he cared more about who you became as a person

than a player, you know, obviously, for who you became more than what you did on the court,

what did he mean to you?

I mean, it's, you know, I always say to the people, not media people, let's say like that,

I mean, he meant to me more now when he was not coached to me anymore, you know, he was

my friend, he was our family friend, he was always in my house when he was here, and we

were always going to his house when I was in Golden State, so, it was just like really,

really quality friendship with a lot of truth between, telling truth between each other

and being honest, you know, I think it's, Deki was a guy who you always wanted to have

as a friend, someone who's going to tell you how it is, you know, with no lying and no

trying to hide anything.

Nicola, you know, people, I think, now debate like, who's the greatest Denver athlete ever,

you know, John Elway with the Broncos or Joe Sacak with the Avs, like, just for you, no,

no, no, no, but like, just when, for you to even be in the discussion now with this and

the championship, like, is that a little cool for you, I don't know, even though if you

know a ton about those guys, but?

I heard about them, and it's, I don't want to start this conversation coming up, you

know, I think, you know, being, living in Denver or whatever, being a part of Denver,

I think it's cool to have, even in hockey right now, I think it's just enjoying the

moment, because I was here when we were not that good, and everybody was, like, talking

bad to us, talking and, like, thinking bad to us, so just enjoy the moment, enjoy the

process, enjoy the, because it's going to pass, probably, you know, everything's passed,

so this is going to pass, too, so I think enjoy the moment and be happy.

To, Nicole, to piggyback off Mike's question about Deki a little bit, you're paying tribute

to him with that shirt, I guess, is today a day to kind of just reflect on all the people

who, you know, that helped you along the way, and who has helped you, and how much did he

help you?

I mean, yes, I mean, to be honest, I'm wearing this kind of shirt pretty much every day,

especially when I'm in a training facility, you know, Deki was the guy who gave me the

freedom, you know, he showed me the way how you're supposed to do things, act, train,

workout, having positive energy, having positive attitude, it's, you know, he's the guy who's,

I mean, you can just see how many players and people he affected, and it's, you know,

he had a positive effect on me, like I said, maybe probably more now as a friend than when

he was my coach, but yes, basketball-wise, he gave me the freedom to do whatever I want

to do, and he trusted me, and I can just say thank you.

Nicole, why have you embraced the sponsorships, the commercials, the shoes, like, more so

than you ever have before, you used to say, if they paid me, I'll do it, so is it just

that, or are you actually enjoying it?

I mean, I didn't, I had two commercials, right, and I just changed the brand, just, you know,

it was, I mean, 36.1 showed up with great respect to me, and I just said, these guys

want to do, and wants to basically help me, use me, whatever you want to, however you

want to say, and then when I read about them, they're actually really, really popular, and

they're really up-scaling brand, let's say like that, and, you know, maybe I can help

them too in some way, so it's, but the most thing about the shoes is the quality of shoes

that I really like, and they made sure that the comfort is there, and, you know, they

did a really good job.

Nicole, kind of similar to what Jacob was asking, but understanding how much teams mean

to fans and players, so John Elway, that's why you still see people wearing seven jerseys

and 19 jerseys, do you at least understand what you mean to Nuggets fans and folks in

this town, and what you saw with the parade, and even long after you're retired, you think

about what you'll mean to everyone that's got to watch you and see your career grow

and see all these accolades, do you understand that part?

Yes, I mean, of course, this is going to be my second home, and hopefully I'm going to

come one time here after I finish career, and still have friends here, you know, I feel

the respect that they show me, you know, I'm hanging in the Washington Park, and everybody

is cheering me like they're, they're really respectful, and I really appreciate it, nobody

is really, I'm going to say, aggressively bugging me, does that make any sense? Because

I'm with a kid, and they really respect me, and I really, really appreciate that, and

they're a really good fan base, and I'm really happy that they're on our side every time

when we are down or up, they are our sixth player, and people in Denver, I think, they

are really, really, really chill, and they are really, like I said, if I'm born here,

or wherever I live here, I will just enjoy the moment right now.

Nikola, there's a really good chance Nathan McKinnon could win the MVP, I'm just curious,

your relationship, maybe you can speak on that, and what do you think about that, about

that happening here in this building, possibly this year?

I mean, actually, I watched the game, I watched the game when I was like, in February, back

in February, right?

They lost last night, right?

They won?

Yeah, I didn't watch it, because I have other things to do, but I love the sport, first

of all, and I love, even being a fan, like when I'm going to the games, I'm a fan of

the avalanche, and I think it's really cool to be part of something that it's, I think

the building the same way as the nuggets in some way, and they are trusting their players,

and they're trusting Nathan, and he's playing good, and he's really fast on those skates,

it's really, really fast, right?

And I'm really, because I don't know how to skate, and how physical, how much energy

is in the planes, really, it's much better in life than when you watch it on TV.

Nikola, will anything be better than when you got it in Serbia, when coach came over,

and you guys all had like a party, and does this moment right now make you want to be

home, like doing that all over again?

I mean, it doesn't mean that we're not going to do it, so, I mean, maybe just not by the

way, but maybe when everything's finished, why not?

But now, I mean, my first one, I got it here, right?

In Phoenix, yeah.

Nik has a great story about that.

Yeah, I mean, it's, I don't have a feeling to go home, and like, it doesn't have a,

I mean, I would like it, because it was a really special moment.

All my friends, all my family were there, and of course, I came with a horse, which is a

big, big part of my life, but, you know, that's probably unique once in a lifetime.

Nikola, other than this, what does this kind of week and this stretch of off days look

like for you, just in terms of trying to mentally and physically reset and prepare?

Yeah, of course, we had yesterday day off, today we came here, work out a little bit,

you know, just mentally, yesterday was mentally off, today is mentally on, you know,

just to be ready for tomorrow, Friday.

Hey, Nikola, if you think back to December 15, 2016, when you became the starting center

and Mike Malone put you in the starting lineup and everything kind of changed since then,

what do you remember about that date or game when you just think back to it?

I mean, don't mess it up, I remember, you know, so everybody was telling me, like,

okay, you're going to start, I said, don't mess it up, just play the same way.

I mean, and I think I did, you know, I think even when you get opportunity like that,

you don't really think about it, and I think you can think about it if you start thinking

about who you're playing or it's a big moment, you're just going to put a lot of pressure

on yourself, just go and do the thing that brought you there.

I think that's advice for young people.

Nikola, you've talked before about your kind of admiration for a lot of different guys

that came before you, but one of those with Tim Duncan, you know, playing with one franchise

for 19 years, do you ever, as much as you have accomplished, you know, before the age

of 30, do you ever think about how long you want to play or, you know, what would determine,

you know, how long you want to play basketball?

I mean, hopefully I'm going to be ready, I mean, I think that the determination is going

to be if I can perform on the high level or not, you know, I think I'm not going to take

spots from some young guys or take, put the franchise down as long as I can play on the

highest level and help the team win.

I think that's going to be my, I'm going to play until then.

Thank you, Nikola.

Guys, pleasure like always.