“I could never play as long as he has,” Nikola Jokic showers praise on Lebron James after he breaks the scoring record
Nikola Jokic says Lebron has been in form for the last 20 years
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Lebron James broke the all-time scoring record on Tuesday night and Nikola Jokic has nothing but praise for him. Jokic was drafted in 2014 when Lebron was at his peak and 9 years later nothing has changed. Lebron is still putting up all-star numbers and now Jokic is too. “The guy didn’t have a prime, he’s in the prime for 20 years,” said Jokic. This aptly sums up the King’s career as he has never averaged under 20PPG in his career.
Jokic described Lebron as the perfect player to idolize. “If you want an idol, he is somebody you can look up to, because he’s always in shape, always leading the team, playing consistently for 20 years, winning championships and MVPs,” said Jokic in his post-game interview after Denver Nuggets beat the Minnesota Timberwolves. Jokic himself became the most recent member of the back-to-back MVP club along with Lebron and a host of other legends. However, Lebron and Kareem are the only ones to do it twice.
Jokic played Lebron in the 2020 NBA bubble playoffs as the Lakers beat them in 6 games. The Lakers beat the Nuggets on their way to the championship that year. However, since then it has been Jokic who has had the upper hand. The Nuggets are currently the #1 seed in the West and Jokic is on pace to win his 3rd MVP in a row, something Lebron has never done.
Jokic is playing at an all-time elite level this season
Right before his interview praising Lebron, Jokic dropped a first-half triple-double against the Timberwolves to make it his 4th triple-double in a row. The Joker is averaging a triple-double this season for the first time in his career with 25 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists. The reigning MVP finally has his best players alongside him and is running the West right now.
Jokic leads the league in offensive rating this season and also has the highest player impact estimate as per the official NBA statistics. The Denver Nuggets have an offensive rating of 109.5 when Jokic does not play and 120.9 with him. For context, the worst team in the NBA has an offensive rating of 109.7 and the best is 117.6. His value to this franchise is undeniable and with the way, he is playing he might just get his 3rd MVP.
The Denver Nuggets will look to make a deep playoff run this season and Jokic is their focal point. Jokic is arguably the best passer in the league right now, which is a title that Lebron James held for a while. Jokic might not be the most flashy and animated player, but he is efficient and gets the job done. With 2 MVPs on his resume, all he needs is a ring to cement himself in NBA history.
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