Kevin Durant lights up social media with Nikola Jokic praise on Christmas

The Suns vanquished the Nuggets fairly easily as the nightcap of the NBA’s loaded Christmas slate, 110-100. It certainly wasn’t a great performance by Denver, and even Nikola Jokic didn’t have one of his more memorable games.

Still, even as the superstar big man seemed uninspired and downright frustrated at times, he managed to keep his team in the game on a night where he got very little help. The box score is nothing to sneeze at, but the 25/12/2 Jokic put up will actually lower his season stats across the board.

But the brilliance of Jokic wasn’t lost on the only other player in the game that could reasonably call his true contemporary; Kevin Durant. KD led the Suns to a much-needed victory, putting up 27 points, 6 assists, 4 rebounds, 2 steals, and 2 blocks. Yet, his biggest statement came during his on-court interview after the game when he heaped praise on his opponent.

Durant declares Jokic a top-10 player of all time

After the game, Durant was interviewed on the court and was crediting the Nuggets and their performance. He had a little extra praise for the Serbian legend, stating, “They (the Nuggets) got, you know, arguably the best player in the world, a top 10 player of all time in Jokic.”

Nothing that KD said will be newsworthy or controversial for Nuggets fans, but it’s good to hear a current superstar dare to go where others have not. His first statement is not a hot take at all and he probably didn’t need the “arguably” qualifier. At this point, it has become generally accepted that Jokic is the best player in the world.

But the rest of NBA media, social media, and the like have not caught up with the idea that Jokic is a top 10 player of all time and that’s exactly what Durant said. Say what you want about KD, but it’s hard to argue that the man eats, sleeps, and breathes basketball. Along with being an all-time great player, he’s a league historian and somewhat who appreciates the game and the league.

For Durant to give the Joker his flowers is a big deal. This isn’t someone who would say this lightly and it shows that his peers are starting to welcome him into that elite club. Jokic was getting into that club whether his peers accepted him or not, but this may be the start of a shift in the way Jokic is viewed in a historical context.

He has already won three MVP awards and is the current favorite to win a fourth this season. That alone would put the Joker into rarified air, but add in his Finals MVP and his exploits for Team Serbia, and the resume is putting him with some lofty company.

So while this may be an uncomfortable conversation for some, it’s one Durant had no problem starting. Others can argue about the rankings, the order, the list, and who has to get bumped out of the top 10. But it’s clear, with a few more seasons like this, nobody is going to leave Jokic out of that conversation.