“I told Luka to move Steph a little closer to the basket,” Nikola Jokic said of their plan to trick and make fun of Steph Curry at the All-Star Game.

Since the All-Star Game was not really a competition, Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic chose to make fun of it like they were on a show.

Steph Curry, a Western Conference player, was seen dunking on Jokic during shot lines before the game on Sunday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Curry had his back to Jokic.

It turned out that the Nuggets centre had a partner in crime.

“Was that something you saw?” Jokic said with excitement. “I need that video.” Luka was told to move Steph away from the basket a bit.

The close friends Jokic and Doncic are from Serbia and Slovenia, respectively. They were kidding around with each other for most of their team’s 211-186 loss. During one play, they passed the ball back and forth from coast to coast without letting it touch the ground.

Jokic said, “Luka is terrible.” “He is not good at playing.”

Jokic’s sixth All-Star Game was fun because he was funny and liked to talk with his friends. That has not always been the case for the two-time MVP in a league where most of the players speak English.

When Jokic left the game, he gave a high-five to everyone on the Western Conference bench. After making a corner 3-pointer in front of East coach Doc Rivers’ bench, he also gave Rivers a high five. He made everyone laugh when he faked a dunk during transition and laid it up instead. Defenders moved out of the way in the last two minutes so he could try to dunk. He and Karl Anthony-Towns flexed at each other after he hit one with his right hand.

“Actually yes, I feel a lot better,” Jokic said about the experience. “…I think I know everyone. And to talk with them about something else, like basketball or something, instead of this game—it is interesting to see how people think differently. “I feel good being here all the time.”

When Jokic saw the video of the picture of Curry, he was happy in front of the press.

The most valuable player in the NBA Finals joked, “I think he was really mad at me, and that is why he will not sleep today.”