Keep your friends close and your enemies closer, it seems Nikola Jokic may be following that motto with a moment at Denver Nuggets training camp on Thursday featuring NBA referee Marc Davis.
The Nuggets welcomed all of Davis, Jacyn Goble and J.T. Orr to their intersquad scrimmage in San Diego on Thursday. Bennett Durando of the Denver Post caught video of the referees with Jokic after where he says the three-time MVP spent 10 minutes talking with the group.
In this moment, Jokic seems to be explaining something to Davis, while using Orr in a demonstration. Orr and Jokic go back and forth as the center seems pretty animated.
Nuggets brought in NBA refs to officiate a scrimmage today and Nikola Jokic spent at least 10 minutes in conversation/demonstration with them after practice ended. pic.twitter.com/8CWlhNnIpH
— Bennett Durando (@BennettDurando) October 2, 2025
This conversation could be about one of the NBA’s new points of emphasis for officials headed into this season. Below, there’s a clip that even features Jamal Murray as the league explains their guidelines for fouls on straight-line drives to the hoop and what defines that.
Given where Jokic is on the floor and what he seems to be doing in the video above, part of his conversation could be learning how the refs will call this type of play moving forward.
See below for Part 3 of the 2025-26 Points of Emphasis video (narrated by SVP, Head of Referee Development and Training Monty McCutchen), which provides examples and guidance regarding Straight-Line Pathway Plays: pic.twitter.com/c1cGPJsI6y
— NBA Official (@NBAOfficial) September 26, 2025
The NBA has also listed points of emphasis on landing spaces and high fives on close-outs of jump shots.
Perhaps more interesting than the content of the conversation is who it features.
For those who don’t remember, Davis was the official who let the Minnesota Timberwolves be overly physical with the Nuggets in Round 2 of the 2024 playoffs. He was on the crew for Games 2 and 6 of that series, which Denver lost by a combined 71 points. The Wolves were allowed to do whatever they wanted to the Nuggets defensively in those two games, as Davis tends to have a relaxed whistle and let the teams play — albeit too much.
In 2024, the Nuggets had a 4-3 record with Davis as on the officiating crew, including the Game 7 win over the LA Clippers in the opening round of the postseason and their Game 6 win to force a do-or-die game in Round 2.
He was also on the call for Game 2 against the LA Clippers, and didn’t call a foul when Michael Porter Jr. had his shoulder landed on and sprained towards the end of the game. Likewise, he was on the call for Game 6 when Aaron Gordon was reached in at and then dived at late in the game, which led to his hamstring, there was no call.
And back in that Game 2 against Minnesota in 2024, Murray was so frustrated with the officiating that he threw a heat pack on the floor while play was going. That was the same night Michael Malone lost it in a face-to-face shouting match with Davis.
Maybe a preseason meeting of the minds between Jokic and Davis can help their relationship heading into this season.
Jokic and the Nuggets are poised for a deep playoff run as they get ready for their first preseason game over the weekend.
