Key Points
- Denver Nuggets centre Nikola Jokic was named Most Valuable Player after the team beat the Miami Heat on Monday.
- After winning, Jokic said: "The job is done, we can go home now."
- It was the Nuggets' first NBA title win.
The Denver Nuggets beat the Miami Heat 94-89 on Monday, winning their first NBA title, with Serbian basketball star Nikola Jokic scoring 28 points and being named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the finals.
With a raucous crowd packed into Ball Arena ready to celebrate, the Nuggets ended a 47-year championship wait by taking the best-of-seven series 4-1.
Once again, the Nuggets were led by Jokic, who hit a double-double of 28 points and 16 rebounds to cap a dominating postseason performance.
"The job is done, we can go home now," said Jokic, whose trophy case also includes two NBA MVP Awards.
"It was an amazing effort by the team.
"That is why basketball is a fun sport, it is a live thing, you cannot say this going to happen, there are so many factors.
"I'm just happy we won the game."
Jokic would prefer to return to Serbia and celebrate in his hometown of Sombor.
But professional sports champions celebrate in the streets with a victory parade, and, in the case of the Nuggets, that won't happen until Thursday, delaying Jokic's return to his home country.
Asked after a Game 5 and Finals victory on Monday night if he was looking forward to the parade, Jokic replied with a question.
"When is parade?" he asked.
The answer: Thursday.
"No. I need to go home," said Jokic, who told media before Game 5 that he was most looking forward to buying another horse.
The Denver Nuggets beat the Miami Heat 94-89 on Monday. Source: AAP, SIPA USA / USA TODAY Sports
'Nobody likes his job, or maybe they do'
"I mean, we succeed in our jobs, and we won the whole thing. It's an amazing feeling. But like I said before, it's not everything in the world. I think. OK, I won it. OK, not I, we won it. But I think it's not the most important thing in the world still," Jokic said.
"There is a bunch of things that I like, that I like to do. Probably that's a normal thing. Nobody likes his job, or maybe they do. They're lying."
Nuggets head coach Michael Malone said he appreciates that Jokic puts family and basketball in proper perspective.
"He's never changed with all the success, and he never will. It's just not in his nature," Mr Malone said.
"I love Nikola. Eight years, love Jamal Murray, seven years. Been through a lot. Just for all of us to stay the course, to challenge ourselves, to all get better collectively, individually.
"Yeah, it's great to be a part of such a historically great player who's an even better person, and I mean that sincerely. This is not coach-talk. Nikola is just a great, great man."
