The Denver Nuggets finished the 2022-23 NBA season as champions of the world. Nikola Jokic carried the organization on his back to the title.
Speaking of his championship runs, Jokic defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves (eighth seed), Phoenix Suns (fourth seed), and Los Angeles Lakers (seventh seed) in the West while overpowering the Miami Heat (eighth seed) in the NBA Finals. Most believe it was a historic run by the Joker. However, Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix differs.
“I don’t look at it as an all-time great playoff run because they didn’t have a peer, really, that they went up against,” Mannix said in a recent episode of the Volume Sports. “It’s a playoff run that elevates him… I’d probably feel differently about Jokic if he had gone through Boston or Milwaukee or in a matchup with Joel Embiid. I don’t know if it elevates him to that top-tier stratosphere.”
Mannix added: “To get to that next level of superstar, that all-time great level of superstar, I want to see him go up against a team that you consider their equal, or even consider their better. That you’re staring down, and you’re the underdog in that particular series by a sizeable amount.”
"I'd probably feel differently about Jokic if he had gone through Boston or Milwaukee or in a matchup with Joel Embiid"
—@SIChrisMannix isn’t ready to call Jokic’s title run an all-timer pic.twitter.com/36tX0chqq1
— The Volume (@TheVolumeSports) June 13, 2023
Mannix seemingly hates Jokic and the Nuggets. Back in May 2023, he declared the Nuggets do not get more media attention because they are not interesting to cover.
The Denver Nuggets wrapped the NBA Finals against the Miami Heat. During the series, Jokic averaged 30.2 PPG, 14.0 RPG, and 7.2 APG.
It was certainly a brilliant series by the two-time MVP. His numbers may have looked different had he faced the Celtics, Bucks, or the 76ers. But at the end of the day, the Heat were the best team in the Eastern Conference in the playoffs.
Nikola Jokic’s Blunt Response With Fans After Winning The 2023 NBA Championship
Nikola Jokic has maintained his carefree attitude even after winning the first ring of his career. But it is indeed the biggest achievement of his NBA career.
Keeping that in mind, Jokic delivered an amazing message to fans who wanted to know the secret behind his success.
“If you want to be successful, you need to be bad, then you need to be good. Then when you’re good, you need to fail. Then when you fail, you’re going to figure it out… There are no shortcuts. It’s a journey.”
Jokic was the 41st overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. He has worked hard for the last eight years to win the ultimate prize in the NBA. Of course, there are no shortcuts to greatness, and the Joker understands that.
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