In the first month or so of this 2022-23 NBA season, we had quite a few names pop up when it came to MVP. Stephen Curry seemed to be the favorite at the beginning, then Giannis Antetokounmpo and Luka Doncic were vying for the top spot, while later on, Jayson Tatum emerged as the frontrunner.
All of them have had somewhat of a dip in recent weeks, and a very familiar face seems to be slowly but steadily rising to the top, Nikola Jokic. He has been putting in some ridiculous performances, and after his Denver Nuggets beat the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday night, they now occupy the top spot in the Western Conference. Shaquille O’Neal has been highly impressed by Jokic’s play, but he had an interesting way of praising the Serbian after the game.
(starts at 3:36 mark):
“Kenny and Chuck, I hope you agree with me. He is the Tim Duncan of big men… The way he dominates the game, it’s not flashy, love this kid and how he plays.”
While we understand what Shaq was trying to say here, Tim Duncan is a big man himself, so to say that Jokic is the Tim Duncan of big men doesn’t really make sense. It is like saying Damian Lillard is the Stephen Curry of point guards, which doesn’t really add up. We’d also say that Jokic is quite flashy when it comes to his passes, but as we said, you get what Shaq means here.
He is comparing the way they handle themselves on the court and manage to dominate the game. The Nuggets will be hoping that Jokic can follow in Duncan’s footsteps by staying his whole career with one team and winning a few championships along the way.
Tyronn Lue Compared Nikola Jokic To LeBron James
This isn’t the first time this season that Jokic has been compared to one of the game’s all-time greats. Los Angeles Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue stated that Jokic reminds him of LeBron James at the center position. Putting apart the difference between the two when it comes to athleticism, it is a pretty good comparison, as both men find different ways to impact the game.
Their basketball IQ is through the roof, and they tend to always be one step ahead of the opposition. Jokic is now trying to do something that even LeBron and Duncan couldn’t accomplish, which is winning three MVPs in a row. No one has done it since Larry Bird in the 1980s, and while it will be a bit difficult for Jokic to win it this season, it certainly isn’t impossible.
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