DENVER — Ball Arena erupted before the game even began.
Colorado Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon was expected to be honored ahead of the team's home opener at Ball Arena Saturday night.
But the surprise was how he was honored.
MacKinnon won both the Hart Memorial Trophy and the Ted Lindsay Award in June as the Most Valuable Player of the 2023-24 NHL season. So who better to present the MVP with his hardware?
None other than Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, a three-time NBA MVP, who emerged wearing a No. 29 MacKinnon jersey with his trophy in hand.
Cheers roared through the arena.
The Ball Arena roommates posed for a picture at center ice and drew a standing ovation from the crowd.
This was only the second time in history that the reigning NBA and NHL MVPs came from the same city. The first time was in 1989, when the Los Angeles Lakers' Magic Johnson and the Kings' Wayne Gretzky both received the honor.
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