Nuggets star Nikola Jokic is the reigning NBA MVP, but his game and skillset are unlike anything we’ve ever seen before.
At first glance, The Joker might not stand out, as he’s not strong like LeBron James or quick like Russell Westbrook. His jumper isn’t pretty, he moves awkwardly on the floor, and he doesn’t always appear to be in the best of shape.
Nevertheless, he’s always one of the best players on the floor.
In a recent appearance on “The Old Man & The Three,” Nuggets youngster Michael Porter Jr. described his experience meeting Jokic for the first time, which apparently left him wondering what all the fuss was about.
“So, Jokic when I first met him, he was fat. When I first met him, he came to the gym when I first got to Denver. He came to rebound for me for a little bit and I was like ‘oh, he’s a good guy.’ But I didn’t really know too much about him cause I didn’t even watch the Nuggets and he wasn’t as good as he is now.
And then we went to training camp, and I’m watching him play and he’s doing alright but Mason Plumlee was doing just as good as The Joker. And I was like ‘wait, why does Joker start over Mason Plumlee?
And then I remember my teammates saying ‘no, when he wants to, he can score 40 a night. Wait until the season starts.”
Of course, it didn’t take long for Porter to realize just how special Jokic was.
“And so I waited, and I’ve never seen anything like him. Just the way he — he’s just a weird dude. Before the game, he’s on his phone playing games. I think he started taking his health more seriously, but like before that, I heard that before the season, he just goes back, drinks beer, rides horses, and then tries to get in shape a couple of weeks before the season starts. He’s just naturally amazing.”
The Joker is truly an enigma, and far from the usual NBA superstar.
But, every time he steps foot on the court, he shows just how special and amazing he is. He shows that, sometimes, looks really can be deceiving.
Last season, the 26-year-old averaged 26.4 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 8.3 assists on 56% shooting.
