Nikola Jokic is the reigning MVP and a bonafide superstar in the NBA, and one of his greatest assets is his ability to make plays from the center position. Jokic has already been called the greatest passing big man of all time, and he regularly throws dimes that usually only come from guards.
So it’s unsurprising that he often gets comparisons to Bill Walton, the NBA’s original brilliant playmaking big. The ultimate ‘what if’ in terms of injuries derailing a career, Walton led his Trail Blazers team to a championship and also won MVP during the 70s. He was at All-Star Weekend as a part of the NBA’s 75th Anniversary team and had the chance to talk to Jokic, revealing what he said to him and how much he admires the Joker (via Denver Post).
“I just said how proud I am of him and how happy I am for him and what he’s been able to do to create the life, to create the world, and to move our universe to a better place,” Walton began. “And the style, the grace, the elegance, the dignity, the class that he brings each and every day, and it’s just a fresh ray of sunshine.”
“I was thrilled to be able to say hello to him because I’m a huge fan, and I’m so grateful for the way he plays because it represents the best of the human spirit in terms of inclusion, in terms of opportunity, team, sacrifice, discipline,” Walton said. “He’s just really, really great. He is brilliant.”
“The imagination, he is a creative genius, and he sees things that other people don’t see,” Walton said. “His sense of timing and skill and position and balance and all the things that I love in life, he just represents it.”
This is high praise for Jokic coming from one of the NBA’s greatest and Walton has a deep respect for the Denver man’s game. Injuries stopped the Nuggets from making a deep playoff run in Jokic’s MVP season last year and the situation isn’t much improved right now, but considering his age, nobody would bet against Jokic winning a championship or two before he retires.
