If there’s one thing you don’t see often after a 32-point mollywhopping in a Game 7, it’s a superstar casually announcing his plans to throw back “a lot of beer”. But hey, Nikola Jokic isn’t your average superstar. The man is built different—literally and figuratively—and after the Denver Nuggets got absolutely thunderstruck by Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 7 of their Western Conference Semifinals series, Jokic grabbed the mic and tossed an alley-oop to the offseason.

And to be it was the perfect occasion to celebrate, too. In a game that can only be described as cinematic with the perfect amount of action (and a thunderous comeback by the hero), OKC took home a jaw-dropping 125-93 win. With MVP-favorite Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s jaw-dropping 35 points on 12-of-19 shooting from the field and 3-4 from beyond the arc—his seventh 30+ point game in the postseason this season, and the most in the league—the team rallied from what seemed like a consecutive loss. The Thunder trailed by 11 points late in the first quarter, and were down 26-21 before the second quarter.

However, Thunder outscored their opponents 39-20 in the period, taking a 60-46 lead at the break. In the fourth quarter, they continue to trounce, finally finishing with a 28-21 lead, and grabbing the win. And to top if all off, Jokic claimed the night sealing his name in the NBA History books. He passed 2X champ Kevin Durant on the all-time playoff assist leaderboard with 712 assists (35th). He also passed Hall of Famer Michael Jordan and Dave DeBusschere for 38th place on the all-time playoff rebound list (1,159), while also going past Rip Hamilton for 44th place on the NBA’s all-time playoff point list (2,580, 44th). Well, we can’t blame Jokic for wanting to party hard…

During a post-game conference, the Serbian player beamed, “Next couple days is going to be a lot of beer probably.” Let’s be clear: what Joker said technically violates the NBA’s unwritten rulebook. Promoting alcohol, even indirectly, is a big no-no under league policies. You won’t see players in Coors Light commercials mid-playoffs for a reason. So when Jokic ends his presser sounding like he’s about to headline Oktoberfest, Adam Silver probably winced harder than Karl Malone checking Twitter. And yet… maybe this isn’t such an anomaly after all.

Because while the league publicly tiptoes around alcohol sponsorships, behind the scenes — and sometimes not-so-behind — the narrative is shifting. LeBron James wrapped up a presser after a close loss to the Blazers in 2022 by saying, “I just want to get some wine and go to bed.” The man even admitted in a pregame ESPN segment that he didn’t start drinking wine until he turned 30, but since then? He’s become a full-blown oenophile. And remember when I-don’t-usually-drink Giannis Antetokounmpo popped a beer at the presser in 2022?

One sip in, he laughed, said “just nasty,” and shoved it away. Then, after the Bucks won the NBA Cup, he opted out of the champagne celebration altogether, saying, “Last time I had champagne, I got full body cramps.” This is the league’s paradox: athletes publicly swerving or joking about alcohol while their likenesses beam from league-approved Michelob ULTRA ads on national TV.

So yes, technically, Jokic pushing the post-game pilsner plan crosses an invisible boundary. But the boundary’s been getting blurrier for years. The NBA has long partnered with Anheuser-Busch, Moët Hennessy, and others. Michelob ULTRA is now the NBA’s global beer partner — just don’t expect players to shout out brands by name. The rules are more about optics than actual regulation, leaning heavily on “social responsibility” language.

But then again, how do you even police a guy who just spent seven games trying to body Alex Caruso and ended up losing the war to a dude with the wingspan of a Fitbit?

When Caruso turned into Rodman with a Wi-Fi Password vs Nikola Jokic & Co.

Let’s talk about that matchup. Caruso vs. Jokic sounds like a typo — or a glitch in 2K where the controller died mid-substitution. But it wasn’t. OKC actually threw their 6’5” bald menace on a 6’11” three-time MVP — and it worked. Alex Caruso guarded Jokic like he was defending his last bag of Tostitos.

‘The Joker’ kept trying to initiate contact, almost like he was waiting for Caruso to fold under the pressure. But here’s the twist: Alex used that aggression against him. Jokic ended up with 20 points on just 9 shots — that’s solid if you’re checking a fantasy app. But in reality? He looked more confused than Shaq at a spelling bee.

By 9:36 left in the fourth, the Thunder were up 106-74. Malone called a timeout, stared into the void, and pulled his starters. Denver’s white flag was waving so hard it probably had windburn. Not long after, OKC returned the favor.

With 7:40 left and a score of 114-76, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander walked off the court with 35 points on 12-of-19 shooting. Caruso’s +40 in 25 minutes was the basketball version of someone beating Elden Ring with a spoon. Add in Jalen Williams (24 points), Chet Holmgren (13 and 11 boards), and you get a picture-perfect Game 7 masterclass.

Meanwhile, Denver’s shooting splits fell harder than James Harden in a playoff elimination game: Team FG%: 39.3% 3P%: 22.2% (10-of-45). Turnovers: 22. It wasn’t just a loss. It was a basketball mugging. So what now for Jokic?

He averaged 26.2 PPG, 12.7 RPG, and 8 APG this series, but even that couldn’t save the Nuggets’ bacon. When asked about his offseason plans, Joker added: “I think Olympics make me even better… There’s a EuroBasket, I need to decide that, talk with the coaches and some of the main players, and we will see.” Serbia might get Olympic Joker again, but only after the man finishes whatever keg he’s mentally tapped. And hey, who can blame him? After carrying the Nuggets like a G-League backpack all season, he’s earned a little R&R.

But promoting beer on live TV? That’s some next-level “I’m outta here” energy. The Nuggets are done. The Thunder moves on. And Nikola Jokic? He’s somewhere in Denver right now, shirt off, sipping lager, and contemplating whether Caruso was actually a government experiment gone right. And honestly? That might be the most Jokic thing ever.