Realistically, there aren’t many accomplishments and accolades one can achieve on a basketball court that Nikola Jokic hasn’t done. He has won three NBA MVP Awards, he led the Denver Nuggets to their first championship while winning Finals MVP, and he has checked every box along the way.
Jokic’s legacy is completely intact and even if he decided to retire tomorrow (oh my god… please don’t!), he would have a strong case to go down as one of the top 10 players of all time. He has been that good, and he keeps getting better. As good as his past four seasons have been, he’s arguably having the best season of his career.
His counting numbers are through the roof, as he’s near the top of almost every statistical category, nearly averaging a 30-point triple-double. His resume, especially over a 4-5 year span, stacks up with anyone who has ever played the game.
But something he has done this season, that doesn’t show up in his stats, may be his most impressive feat yet. Something that great players like James Harden, Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, Anthony Davis, and even LeBron James failed to do.
Jokic has completely rejuvenated Russell Westbrook
That feat is that Jokic has fully embraced Russell Westbrook and turned him back into an extremely impactful NBA player. Russ has been so good that he has been mentioned for 6th Man of the Year, he has even been mentioned as an All-Star candidate, and fans were making a case for Russ as the second-best player on the Nuggets.
These are insane thoughts after watching the past few years of Westbrook’s Hall of Fame career. The former MVP has been discarded by one team after another. The Rockets couldn’t make it work with Russ, so the Lakers took a chance. He was scapegoated in LA and unceremoniously shipped to Washington.
He found his way to the other LA team but was never able to latch on there and was sent to free agency. There were thoughts that Russ may be done in the NBA as he could never change his ways and fit in with a winning team.
A staple of the Denver Nuggets offense has become the Nikola Jokic-Russell Westbrook two-man game.
— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) January 13, 2025
The wrinkle? Westbrook is cutting and scoring more off cuts than at any point in his career (9% of possessions and 1.35 PPP). He's embraced playing off Jokic, resulting in really… pic.twitter.com/2qOGQMWD0A
But then he found Jokic and everything changed. Nobody wanted Russ, even at a minimum, so the Nuggets took a chance. He has been a breath of fresh air in Denver, looking like vintage Russ and providing positive two-way play. He has been particularly excellent playing alongside Jokic.
The Nuggets are averaging the most Assists Per Game in NBA history this season (31.8) 👀
— Beastbrook (@Beastbr00k0) January 18, 2025
The Russell Westbrook x Nikola Jokic experience 🔥 pic.twitter.com/40GIFlhfyj
The two have formed an incredible duo, so good that Michael Malone has to face serious questions about starting and closing with Russ in the lineup. He has been that good and that impactful. If Jokic can win a title with Russ playing a starring role, that may truly be his greatest accomplishment.