Deion Sanders mocks reigning NBA MVP Joel Embiid for ducking Nikola Jokic: "I want to see Embiid vs. the Joker"

Colorado coach Deion Sanders has caught the nation's attention since the 2023 college football season started. The Pro Football Hall of Famer has turned the Buffaloes into a team with the most extensive media coverage in CFB. However, anyone following the Buffs this season would have noticed that Coach Prime’s influence does transcend the sport.

Many figures from popular culture have been gracing Colorado games, such as music stars and NBA athletes. Earlier this week, the Dever Nuggets point guard Jamal Murray stated that half of his teammates went to Boulder to watch Colorado’s loss to USC. However, his teammate, Nikola Jokic, claimed he didn’t know who Deion Sanders was when a journalist asked him.

Notwithstanding, Sanders knows him and looks forward to seeing him go head-to-head with the Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid. Sanders met with the Philadelphia 76ers, who happened to be in town camping at the facilities of the Colorado State Rams. During the meeting, Sanders expressed his desire to see Joel Embiid and Nikola “the Joker” Jokic tug it out on the court.

"Don’t sell me a game and tell me I’m going to get it, then when I turn on the TV, matchup, I don’t get it. I don’t like it," Sanders said. "If Embiid is playing the Joker, I want to see Embiid vs. the Joker. I want to see it. He goes and gets it, right? I love the matchup, but I want to see that; that’s why I stayed up.”

Embiid famously missed the opportunity to go head-to-head with Jokic last season in a game many thought would be the NBA MVP decider. Despite missing the game due to injury, he denied Jokic his third NBA MVP award in three years.

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Can Deion Sanders’ Colorado Buffaloes regain their momentum after losing steam?

Deion Sanders may be out there drawing celebrities to Colorado games, but the fact about the Buffs’ form is that they’ve lost two games back-to-back. The team’s performance against USC may well be an improvement over the “disaster class” against Oregon. But the Buffs need to recover their form and fast.

They have the perfect chance to do just that this weekend against the Arizona State Sun Devils, who have a 1-4 record. A win against Arizona State will serve to get Colorado back on track. It will also do a world of good to the team’s confidence for the remainder of the Pac-12 fixtures.