Nikola Jokic has never been one to chase controversy, but during a recent appearance on the X&O’s Chat podcast, the Denver Nuggets superstar offered a thoughtful perspective on one of basketball’s most heated topics: the comparison between different eras of the NBA.
Jokic addressed the tension that sometimes exists between older generations of players and today’s stars. While he acknowledged that criticism from former players is common, he admitted he does not fully understand where that attitude comes from.
“I don’t understand that gap from older players toward us. It’s not clear whether it’s disrespect, or there isn’t disrespect. I don’t know what it is, but maybe there’s a bit of jealousy, too. I refuse to think that way because I don’t believe it should be like that.”
“That would be like people who played 20 or 30 years ago. That doesn’t mean they couldn’t play in today’s basketball.”
“I told you that example when people were talking about whether Larry Bird could play in today’s basketball. And I told you he could play in Sombor, in China, 10 years ago, 20 years ago, on Jupiter, in 10, in 20 years. Those are extraordinary players, legendary players who will be remembered forever.”
“But it would be stupid if basketball weren’t better now than it was 30 years ago. It’s like saying phones were better 30 years ago, and they weren’t, because of technology and modernization. As everything modernizes, basketball modernizes too.”
“My opinion is that there won’t be positions. It will be positionless basketball, everyone will be able to do everything. Of course, there will be guys who are unique, who change basketball the way Curry changed basketball.”
“Someone like that will show up. Someone like, say, Wembanyama, who you could say is changing basketball. People will say, ‘He’s like that, he doesn’t get hurt, he shoots threes.’ He’s changing basketball. That’s my opinion, again, I’m qualifying it, just my opinion. I’m glad I’ll retire while he’s still… I hope. We’ll see.”
“But like I said, I don’t know why people, players, those old coaches, and people in the sports world have something against today’s.”
Rather than dismissing past legends, Jokic emphasized that great players from previous eras would still be able to succeed in today’s NBA. He pointed to Hall of Famer Larry Bird as a perfect example. Jokic rejected the idea that stars from older generations would struggle in modern basketball.
At the same time, Jokic believes it is only natural that the sport continues to improve over time. As training methods, analytics, and sports science evolve, basketball itself inevitably becomes more advanced. In Jokic’s view, the modern NBA reflects the natural evolution of the game. Players today are generally bigger, faster, and more versatile because they benefit from decades of development in coaching, training, and strategy.
Looking ahead, Jokic believes the game will continue moving toward even greater versatility. He predicted that traditional positions may eventually disappear altogether. One player Jokic believes may already be pushing the league in that direction is Victor Wembanyama. The San Antonio Spurs star has quickly become one of the most unique players the league has ever seen, combining elite rim protection with guard-like shooting and ball handling.
Ultimately, Jokic’s message was not about proving one era superior to another. Instead, he believes the sport should celebrate its evolution while respecting the legends who came before.
