Former NBA star-turned-analyst Richard Jefferson had some lavish praise for Nikola Jokic after the latter won his first NBA championship.
Speaking on Jokic’s statistical achievements, Jefferson said, “He’s Kevin Durant scoring, Magic Johnson assisting, Tim Duncan on the glass, and has a better shooting percentage than a guy like Steph Curry.”
The stats don’t lie… #jokic #nbastats #NBAFinals pic.twitter.com/Ua3e5Cv3s7
— Richard Jefferson (@Rjeff24) June 13, 2023
In the video below, Richard Jefferson was indeed telling the truth about Jokic’s amazing performances in the NBA Finals.
RJ explains why what Jokic just did in the playoffs is different.#MileHighBasketball pic.twitter.com/TOUHmR9Vve
— n i k o l a e s t h e t i c (@nikolaesthetic) June 13, 2023
Jokic has been phenomenal this season for the Nuggets. The NBA Finals saw him average 30.2 points, 14.0 rebounds, and 7.2 assists. In the playoffs, he was a picture of consistency averaging 30.0 points, 13.5 rebounds, and 9.8 assists. The regular season saw him average 24.5 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 9.8 assists.
Such was his dominance that he became the first player in NBA history to lead in points, rebounds, and assists in the playoffs. The NBA Finals MVP had 600 points, 269 rebounds, and 190 assists. In addition, the Serbian also led the playoffs in Win Shares (5.0).
Jefferson’s praise isn’t over the top. He’s just highlighted how mercurial Jokic has been on both ends of the floor. His versatility as a center with guard skills earns him the right to be compared to a shooting threat like Durant and a playmaking star like Johnson. His ability to score seamlessly as a big puts him on par with Duncan.
Michael Porter Jr. Declares Nikola Jokic As The Best Big Man Ever
Earlier, Jokic’s teammate Michael Porter Jr. was all praise for the center, calling him the best big man in the league.
“This was a historic run,” Porter said. “I don’t know how you could say he’s not the best big man ever really. He’s one of the all-time great basketball players, I don’t care what anyone says. I think he’s one of the all-time best players to ever play this game, so to be on his team, he makes it easy for the rest of us.”
Jokic is in his prime, and that gives him and the Nuggets the best time to maximize their championship window. At 28, he has already won one NBA Championship, one NBA Finals MVP, and two regular-season MVP awards, among other achievements. This even had Shaquille O’Neal welcoming him to the Mt. Rushmore of the greatest centers in the NBA.
Now, it remains to be seen if Jokic can keep up that level of consistency.
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