He is recording statistical performances that have not been seen for decades, he won three MVP awards, led his Denver Nuggets to the title in 2023, and almost defeated the American "Avengers" with Serbia, reports Sport Klub.
Could such a rise in the career of the Denver center have been predicted?
Certainly not in the days he spent at Megi, but in 2020, one of the best coaches in the history of basketball seemed to know what the boy from Sombor was capable of.
This is the legendary Gregg Popovich, coach of the San Antonio Spurs and five-time NBA champion.
"Jokić is like the reincarnation of Larry Bird. He does everything, he's incredible," Popovich said back in August 2020 in a statement that American media is recalling these days.
Nikola Jokić was the league's MVP in 2021, 2022, and 2024, and in 2023, he almost missed out on the "Michael Jordan Trophy," losing to Joel Embiid. The recently concluded NBA regular season is the fifth in a row in which Jokić has been in the running for the MVP title.
It is not yet known whether the "most valuable" player of the 2024/2025 season will be Jokić or Shey Gilges-Alexander, but for now everything indicates that the race will be uncertain.
As for Popovich, he is the winningest coach in NBA history. Greg has been at the helm of the Spurs since 1996, but has been on sick leave since late October of last year after suffering a mild stroke.
Larry Bird is certainly one of the greats of the NBA. He spent his entire career from 1979 to 1992 with the Boston Celtics, with whom he won three championships. Back injuries greatly shortened and slowed his career, but he is without a doubt one of the most complete, attractive and competitive players in NBA history.
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