The Serbian-born center was drafted by the Denver Nuggets in 41st place in the second round, as the official broadcast aired a Taco Bell commercial. Nine years later, he’s a two-time MVP, the all-time triple-double record in the same playoffs, and for many the best player in the world.
The NBA Finals begin this Thursday with a giant as the main character. With the Magic Johnson Trophy under his arm, a historic playoff run and confidence skyrocketing after sweeping the Lakers, Nikola Jokic knows this is the year to give the Denver Nuggets their first ring. Only four wins separate them from the Miami Heat.
A reward that has stood for 56 years for those in Colorado, but has never been closer and is the Joker took them to their first NBA Finals thanks to the individual work of MVP (although precisely this year he did not take recognition after two seasons winning it) throughout the year. In his 69 regular season games, he averaged 24.5 points, 11.8 rebounds and 9.8 assists in 69 games played. For the playoffs, he’s averaging 29.9 points, 13.3 rebounds and 10.3 assists in 15 games.
Stratospheric figures which have even led him to become a player with the most triple doubles (double digits in points, assists, and rebounds in a game) in the same NBA playoffs . He achieved this in eight games, two in the first round against Minnesota, three in the semifinals against the Phoenix Suns and three more in the Western final against the Lakers. Gone is the mark of seven games that Wilt Chamberlain won in 1967.
But it wasn’t all glamor and covers for the European. In fact, his arrival in the league went so unnoticed that when he was selected 41st by the Nuggets in the second round of the 2014 draft, the official broadcast of the ceremony aired a Taco Bell television commercial. Nine years later, it’s two-time Regular Season MVP, Western Finals MVP, five-time All-Star and three-time All-Star Five .
Not bad for a giant of 2.13 meters who plays in the center and lives in the era of the triple. In fact, there are not a few teams who, after his explosion, have been looking for players of their qualities. Guys who can play in the paint, but have no problem getting out of the paint and distributing the game. . Proof of this is Alperen Şengün, a 20-year-old Turk who arrived in Houston in 2021.
The impact of the Sombor-born man has been such that LeBron James himself is full of praise for his work in these playoffs. “We were talking in the dressing room with Davis and we came to the conclusion that they are one of the best teams we have faced in the last four years. They have intelligence, shooters, bench depth, they are smart… And of course, a player like the Joker. You can’t go wrong with him, and even when you defend him well, he takes the ball behind the head like Larry Bird and ducks it in. . He’s done it many times in this series, you can only do it like that (he takes off his cap in reverence),” explained the four-time NBA champion.
In the same press conference, held after Denver’s 4-0 loss, LeBron was asked if he was surprised by the level of the European giants. His answer shows the magnitude of what has been seen in this post-season.
“No way, I know how great it is. Some guys in this league play the game in a certain way. In a certain way I like to play too. And he’s one of those. He’s one one of those players you’re always off balance with when you’re defending him because of his ability to score, rebound, shoot. See the plays before they happen. There aren’t many guys like that in our league. So I knew I was in for a beast once the show started. And not only on his game. Everyone hallucinates with his statistics. But not many people talk about that part (points to head with finger) of his game. Maybe we don’t talk about it much because a lot of people don’t understand it, but I do and he’s special he stated.
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Source: Latercera
I’m Scott Moore, a professional writer and journalist based in the US. I’ve been writing for various publications for over 8 years now, and have been working as an author at athletistic for the past five years. My work has been featured by some of the leading sports websites and magazines across Europe.
