'You're never going to catch me with a Broncos jersey on' — Mizzou star makes his Chiefs allegiance clear ahead of Nuggets debut
Ahead of his NBA Summer League debut with the Denver Nuggets, Missouri's Tamar Bates got something off his chest that could alienate some of the fans in his new NBA home. "You're never gonna catch me with a Broncos jersey on," Bates told reporters. "I'm in Broncos country, but when the Chiefs come to town, y'all […]
Ahead of his NBA Summer League debut with the Denver Nuggets, Missouri's Tamar Bates got something off his chest that could alienate some of the fans in his new NBA home.
"You're never gonna catch me with a Broncos jersey on," Bates told reporters. "I'm in Broncos country, but when the Chiefs come to town, y'all know what colors I have on."
The 6-foot-5 and 195-pound guard signed a two-way deal with the Nuggets after going undrafted in the 2025 NBA Draft, but his ties to his hometown in Kansas City still run deep.
He made it clear that he's not simply a bandwagon fan after the Chiefs' recent run of success. As a 22-year-old, his NFL fandom took shape in 2009, when Matt Cassel was traded from the New England Patriots to the Chiefs. Anyone who has spent time growing up in Kansas City will tell you that becoming a fan of the Chiefs is an indoctrination you can hardly avoid, pre-dating the Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid era.
"I'm not no fake Chiefs fan," Bates said, before a reporter suggested former Kansas Jayhawk and Nuggets guard Christian Braun might be one. "I can't speak for CB (Christian Braun) and his Chiefs fandom. But me, you know, I've been with the Chiefs since Matt Cassel, Dwayne Bowe, Jamaal, Charles, Tamba Hali, I'd go on all day."
Bates' comments could turn away some Denver faithful due to his love of the Chiefs, but in some ways, they've got to respect the loyalty he has for his childhood team. Should Bates lead a successful NBA career, kicking things off as a two-way player with the G-League affiliate Grand Rapids Gold, that loyalty factor could come into play in Denver.
You can watch Bates make his Nuggets debut on Thursday, July 10 at 8:30 p.m. CT against the Milwaukee Bucks, broadcast on NBA TV and Altitude Sports. He's expected to be one of the players to stand out most on the Nuggets' Summer League roster.
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