Nikola Jokic Stuns in Rare Commercial Appearances With Peyton Watson — and a Pony

Despite being one of the most successful athletes on the court in recent years, Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic hasn’t jumped on many ad deals the way other league MVPs (and even just big names) have. Some have cited it as advertisers' disrespect for the Mile High City as a basketball market, while others have pointed to the Joker's general lack of desire to embrace heightened attention as the main reason.

But somehow, some way, Nuggets fans were gifted not one, but two Hotels.com commercials on Tuesday, December 19, featuring the big man and up-and-coming Denver hooper Peyton Watson. As a nod to Jokic's obsession with horses, the pair was also joined by a pony, which Jokic fed and walked around with.

One of the commercials pokes fun at Watson's and Jokic's difference in on-court status, with Jokic comparing spots at a hotel pool to seats at a basketball game. He notes how there’s the VIP section, the places where fairweather fans sit, and then the bench — or in this case, the pool steps.

“Who sits on the bench?” Watson asks.

“Not me,” Jokic responds, before ditching the UCLA grad on the side of the pool for a bougie wicker sofa under a pergola.

Nikola Jokic in a commercial 😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/dXRRarVwzU

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) December 19, 2023

While the comedy and banter are a blast, Jokic and Watson's drip — aka style — also has people talking.

In one of the commercials, Jokic sports a baby-blue two-piece that is giving ritzy resort, while Watson dons an orange tee and trendy flower-patterned pair of shorts, plus a chain. The other ad sees Watson in matching white sweats and Jokic in an evergreen tracksuit as they walk through a hotel lobby; it's the commercial that features the pony.

“You know, two guys and a horse walk into a hotel…,” Watson jokes.

“This is a pony!” Jokic fires back, as if that explains why no one is batting an eye at the clip-clop of hooves.

At the end of the ad, Jokic jokingly pretends that he's going to let Watson feed the pony — handing him a treat before swiping it back and feeding the horse himself.

While the pairing seems random, Jokic and Watson have the same sports agent, so it makes sense that they would appear in commercials together.

Outtakes shared by Hotels.com are even better than what made the final cut, with them showcasing Jokic’s unseen playful side. Off the court, Watson has been dubbed the DJ king of the Nuggets locker room, with teammates adding he’s even able to get the MVP into the music. That chemistry showed in the bloopers, with the pair messing around together as Jokic played air guitar and Watson snapped his fingers in rhythm.

Y'all the behind-the-scenes of Jok and PWat's commercials are even better 😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/VX29JeO6qF

— Alec Gwin (@alecgwin) December 19, 2023

“Give me a second,” Jokic says after succumbing to giggles. “I need to get into the acting character.”

Throughout the blooper reel, the NBA Finals MVP repeatedly forgot his lines and unleashed an array of curse words, many in Serbian.

Jokic may not have a lot of television experience, but his life has been directly affected by TV ads: He was famously drafted during a Taco Bell commercial for the Quesarito in 2014. 

This is what was on ESPN when the #Nuggets drafted Nikola Jokic with the 41st pick pic.twitter.com/iyzvv8QnLf

— Aniello Piro (@MediaByAP) February 11, 2017

Back then, everyone missed out on the first glimpse of Sombor’s gift to basketball in favor of what is definitely not a gift to stomachs. Now the Joker is cashing in and having fun.

Here’s to the center getting paid for ads instead of being overshadowed by them!