Guiding the Nuggets franchise to their first-ever NBA title has catapulted Nikola Jokic into eternal greatness. Now it’s hard to argue against him being one of the best players to ever play basketball, and probably the most efficient center who ever graced the sport.
The Denver star, who had already conquered two-consecutive league MVP awards, should’ve probably earned a third one this campaign, as he led the Kia Ladder during most of this past regular season, but the NBA decided Sixers star Joel Embiid deserved some recognition.
One thing that’s true, is that the Serbian big man doesn’t necessarily look like your common NBA athlete, and let alone the most dominating player in the league. His stature, weight, and lack of muscular physique would confuse anyone.
Just ask Knicks star Julius Randle, who entered the 2014 NBA Draft with the Nuggets star. Only difference was that the New York foward was chosen as the seventh overall pick, while Jokic was the 41st.
The two-time All-Star recently admitted that he judged the Serbian by his cover, and never expected much from him during their first seasons in the NBA. “Nobody knew who he was,” Randle said this week on Paul George’s podcast. “That wasn’t even a thought.”
Check out the Knicks athlete’s take on why he believes European players like Jokic have a competitive advantage in the league:
It finally took watching Jokic have one of the most succesful playoffs in NBA history, reaching 16 postseason triple-doubles in his career, for him to come to terms with his greatness.
“I remember, like, my second year, and we had played against him, and I’m just like – because he was killing – I’m like, ‘Man, why does this dude kill it, bro? Slow, fat, he ain’t nice like that, right? It’s in my head, bro.’ He … played here and had like 25 [points],” Randle recalled. “And I’m like, ‘Man, how the hell did this happen, bro?’”
Stats prove that the Serbian center is getting better and better every season in the NBA
Back in the 2016/17 season, Jokic’s second NBA tournament, the big man was already a quality player as he averaged 16.7 points and 9.8 rebounds per contest, and starting in 59 of his 73 matches in Denver. However, Randle still couldn’t recognize his value.
This campaign, the Joker averaged 24.5 points, 11.8 rebounds, 9.8 assists per game, which means he was only 0.2 assists shy of registering a season triple-double.
However, it wasn’t until the playoffs where the beast was finally unleashed. The star center reached the double-double mark in all of the 20 postseason contests he played, except for two. Jokic put up 37 points, 12.3 assists and 12 rebounds per game as he was rightfully chosen the NBA Finals MVP.
“It’s crazy, bro. You talk about getting better. It’s crazy to see him. He’s always had that skill … but to really hone in on his skill set and get better the way he did year after year, that’s incredible,” Randle added.
You know, there’s a reason why his $264 million contract signed last summer is still the richest in NBA history.
