Veteran guard Russell Westbrook made his debut for the Denver Nuggets as they opened the National Basketball Association pre-season by losing to Boston in Abu Dhabi on Friday but was in awe of one his new team-mates.
Nikola Jokic "sits in a category of his own", Westbrook, a 16-year NBA veteran, said after the game.
Playing the first of two preseason games against the Boston Celtics in the UAE capital, the Nuggets, the 2023 NBA champions, squandered a 14-point lead and lost 107-103 to the team that took the crown at the end of last season.
Westbrook, a 35-year-old former league MVP and nine-time All-Star, joined the Nuggets in July after spending last season with the Los Angeles Clippers.
He shared some minutes with centre Jokic in the first half before the Nuggets rested their starters.
Jokic had 14 points, eight rebounds, two assists, and a 71.4 field goal percentage in under 17 minutes of play.
The Celtics began with three Olympic gold medallists Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and Derrick White alongside Luke Kornet and Jrue Holiday but it was their second unit that cut their deficit.
Guard Payton Prichard scored 21 points, including six 3-pointers from 12 attempts.
NBA Finals MVP Brown addressed the Abu Dhabi crowd with some Arabic words ahead of the game. He had eight points, two rebounds and two assists in 19 minutes of play, while Tatum had 12, six and five.
The capacity crowd at Etihad Arena was star-studded, with a host of football legends in attendance, including Ronaldinho, Thierry Henry, Roberto Carlos and Alessandro Del Piero. AFP
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