Center Nikola Jokic is one of the best basketball players in the league, and after he got to the Finals with the Denver Nuggets, there has been a good case that he is the best player in the world right now. However, when he was drafted, most people couldn’t predict what he would become, as he was the No. 41 pick in the 2014 NBA Draft.
Coach Mike Malone was recently asked about whether Nikola Jokic was motivated to become who he is by his draft status. Malone noted that he never thought Jokic used his draft position as motivation, but quipped that perhaps being drafted “during a Taco Bell commercial” pushed the star to become better.
“In the eight years, I’ve been with Nikola… I’ve never felt him have any kind of perceived slight about being drafted 41. I think for [Nikola Jokic] it’s been more about somebody took a chance on me, even though I guess he was drafted during a Taco Bell commercial. Maybe that was what really kind of pushed him forward.”
"I think for [Nikola Jokic] it's been more about somebody took a chance on me, even though I guess he was drafted during a Taco Bell commercial. Maybe that was what pushed him."
Michael Malone on if being drafted 41st overall motivated Jokic 😅🌮pic.twitter.com/3GWS8XlJVH
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) May 26, 2023
There is a good chance that Nikola Jokic will finish this year as an NBA champion. The Denver Nuggets are clearly the favorites to win the championship at this point, and a large reason for that is Jokic’s elite performances.
In the playoffs, Nikola Jokic is putting up 29.9 PPG, 13.3 RPG, and 10.3 APG for the Denver Nuggets. There is no doubt that he has been stellar, and Jokic has clearly elevated his game from the regular season.
Richard Jefferson Believes Nikola Jokic Is On One Of The Best Playoff Runs Ever
During the playoffs, Nikola Jokic has managed to defeat multiple top-tier superstars, such as Kevin Durant, LeBron James, and Anthony Davis. That has led Richard Jefferson to claim that he is currently on one of the best playoff runs in NBA history.
“If Jokic is able to win a championship this year and continue the numbers he’s putting up. It will be one, two, or three greatest runs we have ever seen. He’s averaging a 30-point triple-double right now. He’s beaten KD, he’s beaten the Lakers. If they win their first championship, show me another run from start to finish. We’ve seen great runs from LeBron, and Kobe, but a 30-point triple-double? Throughout the postseason, we’ve never seen that before. You have to put it up there as one of the best performances ever. Coming off the heels of 2 MVPs, I don’t know where he ranks, but what he’s doing right now, it’s one of the most impressive things we’ve seen in the game of basketball.”
It will be interesting to see if the Denver Nuggets can finish the job this season. They are clearly the best team left in the playoffs, but if the Boston Celtics manage to beat the Miami Heat, then they can be a challenging opponent for the Nuggets.
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