Michael Porter Jr. has never been shy about showing love to his former Denver Nuggets teammate, but his latest comments took things a step further. Asked who he considers the greatest basketball player of all time, Porter didn’t name Michael Jordan or LeBron James. Instead, he went straight to Nikola Jokic.
“I’m going, Nikola Jokic. The reason I say that is because he could have won MVP five years in a row. Can you name another player who could’ve won MVP five years?”
It’s a bold claim, but Porter isn’t wrong about Jokic’s sustained dominance. Since 2021, the Serbian center has either won MVP or finished as the runner-up every season, placing himself in an elite class alongside Jordan and LeBron as the only players realistically capable of such a run.
Jokic’s trophy case already includes three MVP awards and a 2023 Finals MVP, not to mention Denver’s first-ever NBA championship.
What makes Porter’s reasoning compelling is the level of consistency Jokic has maintained. During this five-year stretch, Jokic has redefined what it means to be a center. He became the third player in league history to average a triple-double across a full season, and his advanced numbers stack up with the very best to ever play.
His Box Plus/Minus above 10 for five consecutive years is something no other player in NBA history has achieved. Add in the fact that his Player Efficiency Ratings from 2021-22 and 2025 are the two highest single-season marks ever, and Porter’s point doesn’t sound like exaggeration.
Porter also knows firsthand how Jokic’s style translates into winning. As Jokic’s teammate during Denver’s 2023 title run, he saw how the big man controlled every possession with his scoring, passing, and vision.
That playoff run, capped by a Finals win over the Miami Heat, showcased Jokic at his absolute peak averaging 30 points, 13.5 rebounds, and nearly 10 assists per game. It was dominance without flash, and it proved once and for all that his unique approach could carry a team to the mountaintop.
Of course, the GOAT debate has always been bigger than numbers. Jordan’s six titles and unmatched killer instinct, and LeBron’s longevity and two-decade run of excellence, have defined the conversation for years.
But Jokic is starting to force his way into that discussion by doing something neither of them quite did: controlling every single aspect of the game as a true all-around hub.
The idea of Jokic as the greatest player alive is no longer fringe talk. Around the league, players, coaches, and analysts have acknowledged that his game a blend of old-school fundamentals and modern versatility, has no real comparison.
He can punish defenders inside, pick teams apart with passing usually reserved for point guards, and has elevated everyone around him into a championship-caliber player.
Porter’s words might sound bold now, but they reflect a growing reality: Jokic’s sustained brilliance is making basketball fans reconsider where he belongs in the all-time hierarchy. If he continues his current pace into his 30s, the idea of him as the GOAT won’t just be something his former teammates say on podcasts; it could become a widely accepted truth.
