In hindsight watching highlights from his rookie season I can't believe that people slept on him. I can't believe that I didn't think he would even be an all star. Everything that he is now was there back then. He is a tall center with a soft touch, with a good hook shot, the best floater in the world, phenomenal jump shooter for a center, solid 3 point shooter, phenomenal passer, phenomenal court vision, great hand eye coordination and reaction time, high basketball IQ, he was also a great rebounder and a fundamentally sound player. He is a gifted basketball player who also happens to be very tall. Also, look at how elegant his jump shoot looks like. Everything is there in these videos from his rookie season, and yet not many people realized back then how good he was. After passing the eye test with the best possible grade you just look at his stats, including advanced stats (which were already ridiculous in his rookie season) and you know what kind of a generational mega talent you are watching. But almost no one saw that back then and it is kind of crazy. It went over my head as well, I am blaming myself just as much as anyone. When Jokić went to the Nba the discussion here in Serbia was whether he would be able to stay or whether he will be sent back to Europe. Most former pros and experts thought he would last in the NBA tbf, but only a vanishingly small number of people predicted what Nikola Jokić would become even though the evidence was right in front of our noses.
In hindsight watching highlights from his rookie season I can't believe that people slept on him. I can't believe that I didn't think he would even be an all star. Everything that he is now was there back then. He is a tall center with a soft touch, with a good hook shot, the best floater in the world, phenomenal jump shooter for a center, solid 3 point shooter, phenomenal passer, phenomenal court vision, great hand eye coordination and reaction time, high basketball IQ, he was also a great rebounder and a fundamentally sound player. He is a gifted basketball player who also happens to be very tall. Also, look at how elegant his jump shoot looks like. Everything is there in these videos from his rookie season, and yet not many people realized back then how good he was. After passing the eye test with the best possible grade you just look at his stats, including advanced stats (which were already ridiculous in his rookie season) and you know what kind of a generational mega talent you are watching. But almost no one saw that back then and it is kind of crazy. It went over my head as well, I am blaming myself just as much as anyone. When Jokić went to the Nba the discussion here in Serbia was whether he would be able to stay or whether he will be sent back to Europe. Most former pros and experts thought he would last in the NBA tbf, but only a vanishingly small number of people predicted what Nikola Jokić would become even though the evidence was right in front of our noses.
Congrats MVP!!!
Jokic so old he played with Kobe and Duncan and them boys
A legend was born
Kobe Bryant was playing this game. Jokić and Bryant didn't have a direct duel but they did play at the same time on the court.
This guys gonna be a 3x back to back mvp in the future
5+ all time MVP