- Former Nuggets point guard says Nikola Jokic will not play into his late 30s
- Jokic only has “5-6” more years in the NBA
- The NBA is just a job for the Serbian superstar
With modern advances in sports medicine and physical training, players are extending their careers for longer than ever before. For 2x MVP Nikola Jokic, it might be easy to imagine him playing and dominating the game well into his late 30s, similar to how other top stars (like LeBron James and Stephen Curry) are doing today.
But according to NBA veteran Austin Rivers, Jokic will not even be in the NBA for longer than 15 years tops. Speaking on the Bill Simmons podcast, Rivers explained why Jokic is not built for LeBron-like longevity: “I have him playing another 5-6 years,” said Rivers. “I have him playing until like 34. I don’t wanna say anything more than that but I don’t see him playing until he’s 39 years old. He didn’t want to go to the parade!”
Jokic is still in the prime of his career, so it’s hard to envision him walking away from the game. At just 28 years old, he still has plenty of time to rack up achievements and accolades on the way to greatness. But as most fans probably know by now, Jokic isn’t really crazy about his NBA career compared to their top stars and even if he’s healthy at 34 years old, he may just retire due to boredom.
Jokic Is Lukewarm On His NBA Career
After winning the NBA Finals MVP trophy in June, Jokic apparently lost the award just hours after celebrating the title. The trophy has since been found, but not before exposing Nikola’s indifference toward the league. As good as Jokic is, he’s one of the few high-impact players who treats the NBA more as a regular job than his entire lifestyle. “Nobody likes his job,” said Jokic after leading the Nuggets to a championship this year. “Or maybe they do. They’re lying.”
Jokic, a Serbian native, seems to prefer horse racing over playing for the Nuggets and he’s always looking to go home every chance that he gets. Compared to his top competitors like Joel Embiid and Anthony Davis, Nikola doesn’t care for showing off or putting on a show for the crowd, he simply wants to perform his job, help his team win, and go home from there.
Jokic Is On Track For The NBA History Books
No matter how much Jokic tries to step away from the spotlight, his dominance in the NBA has earned a lot of attention across the world. As his resume grows, his place among the NBA legends will continue to rise and he’s already made a lot of progress.
Currently, Jokic is already a lock for the Hall of Fame as a 5x All-Star, 2x MVP, 5x All-NBA player, and 2023 NBA Champion. This past season was arguably his best yet with averages of 24.5 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 9.8 assists per game on 63% shooting.
So even if he stops now, the Nuggets star has more than proven himself as one of the best big men in modern NBA history. If he sticks around for 5 years or more, there’s really no telling what more he can add to his already impressive list of achievements. For Jokic, however, there’s a good chance he’s not even keeping count.
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