Nikola Jokic dominates these hilarious Hotels.com commercials.

Nikola Jokic, a standout player for the Denver Nuggets, is well-known for his quiet demeanour and dry sense of humour. With his most recent campaign for Hotels.com, he has brought attention to himself and revealed a side of himself that fans rarely witness.

Jokic is joined in the two humorous advertisements by Nuggets rookie Peyton Watson. In one scenario, Jokic enters a hotel lobby with a tiny horse and announces, “Pets are allowed.” This funny anecdote reflects Jokic’s sincere passion of horses and horse racing during the offseason in his native Serbia.

In the second advertisement, Jokic uses NBA seating comparisons to help Watson understand the subtleties of hotel pool seating. The punchline is Jokic’s comical relegation of Watson to “the bench,” a reference to Watson’s present status as a Nuggets backup player. Despite sitting on the bench in his second NBA season, Watson has made major contributions.

The outtakes, with their edited vulgarity, reveal insight into Jokic’s personality beyond the created humour. Unlike his December 12 on-court dismissal for using foul language against the Chicago Bulls, the outtakes show a relaxed and happy atmosphere on set, with everyone laughing along with his passionate outbursts.

With these amusing advertisements, Jokic—the reigning NBA Finals MVP and two-time league MVP—begins to enjoy the spotlight, giving fans a rare glimpse of the usually reserved basketball player’s vibrant and entertaining side.