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Reading: 12 Years Ago Nikola Jokic Couldn’t Find Anyone To Play Basketball With Him, Today He Is The 2-Time MVP And The Best Player In The NBA
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Home > NBA News & Analysis > 12 Years Ago Nikola Jokic Couldn’t Find Anyone To Play Basketball With Him, Today He Is The 2-Time MVP And The Best Player In The NBA

12 Years Ago Nikola Jokic Couldn’t Find Anyone To Play Basketball With Him, Today He Is The 2-Time MVP And The Best Player In The NBA

Nikola Jokic was asking people on social media to play basketball with him 12 years ago, now he is the 2-time MVP and will play in the NBA Finals.

Divij Kulkarni
May 23, 2023
3 Min Read
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Credit: Fadeaway World

Nikola Jokic was named the Magic Johnson Western Conference Finals MVP after leading the Denver Nuggets to the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history. 

Nikola Jokic averaged a triple-double as the Nuggets swept the Los Angeles Lakers, adding to his long list of incredible achievements. And it’s amazing how far he has come, considering he struggled to find people to play basketball with 12 years ago. 

In 12 years Nikola Jokić went from struggling to find anyone to play basketball with, to a 2x MVP award winner and sweeping LeBron James in the playoffs.

He has no presence on social media. He's not marketable. He doesn't have highlight reels full of flashy dunks. But he's a… pic.twitter.com/U4dkNeoHId

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) May 23, 2023

In 2011, when Nikola Jokic was just 15 years old, he posted on social media in Serbian asking if anyone wanted to play a pickup basketball game. He was unable to find anyone by just asking, which led to him posting about it on social media. 

Baske

This would be three years before he was drafted in 2014, and he was far from a highly-rated prospect even then. Nikola Jokic was drafted by the Denver Nuggets with the 41st overall pick in the 2nd round of the 2014 NBA Draft, famously during a Taco Bell commercial. He didn’t start playing in the league till 2015 either, but he has since gone on to become one of the greatest to ever do it. 

Nikola Jokic has made five All-Star teams in his career already, to go along with 5 All-NBA appearances, three of which were First-Team selections. He is a two-time NBA MVP and got incredibly close to becoming the first player since Larry Bird to potentially win three consecutive MVP awards. His current playoff run is also one of the most incredible accomplishments in recent NBA history. 


Nikola Jokic Is Breaking Record On His Way To Potentially Winning His First NBA Championship

Having been named the Western Conference Finals MVP, a Finals MVP, and a championship will be the next goal for Jokic. And considering that he is averaging 29.9 points, 13.2 rebounds, and 10.1 assists during this playoff run, nobody would bet against him. A 30-point triple-double on average is absurd, and he has also broken Wilt Chamberlain’s record for the most triple-doubles in a single postseason.

Nikola Jokic is still doubted by some, but he has put all of those doubts to rest. If he can finish the job and win his first championship, no one will be able to accuse him of putting up empty numbers ever again. It will be easier said than done to finish the job, but for the man that was looking for people to play basketball with just 12 years ago, nothing seems to be impossible. 

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TAGGED:Denver Nuggets ArchiveLos Angeles Lakers ArchiveNikola Jokic
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ByDivij Kulkarni
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Divij Kulkarni is an NBA columnist for Fadeaway World. He has covered the NBA and the English Premier League, with 4 years of experience in creating sports content. Finding exciting and intriguing content about all things NBA is both his job and his passion. Divij loves the Dallas Mavericks and can be regularly observed getting emotional during games. Outside of basketball, he enjoys reading fantasy and sci-fi novels, consuming copious amounts of movies and TV, and spending time with his dog, Olivia. Expertise: NBA, Historical Sports ResearchFavorite Team: Dallas MavericksFeatured On HoopsHype, Sports Illustrated, Secret Base, MSNPrevious Work: Tribuna
Previous Article Video: Jokic Brothers Lift Up Michael Malone After The Nuggets Reach The 2023 NBA Finals
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