There may not be any NBA games taking place on Thursday for Thanksgiving Day, but fans of the Denver Nuggets have plenty to be thankful for, namely, Nikola Jokic. The Nuggets drafted Jokic in the second round in 2014, and since then, he has blossomed into one of the best players to ever pick up a basketball.
Jokic has never wavered from his allegiance to Denver, either. He never creates issues off the court, he never runs his mouth to the media, he’s not in trade rumors, and overall, for a superstar, he couldn’t possibly be less of a distraction.
There has never been a peep about him being unhappy or wanting to leave. All he ever seems interested in doing is showing up, doing his job to the best of his ability, and winning basketball games.
Nuggets fans have been treated to the ultimate superstar experience for over a decade now, both on and off the court. And the beauty of it all is, he just seems to be getting better. Now, 30, the Joker has shown no signs of slowing down whatsoever. He’s arguably playing the best ball of his career and seems to be constantly adding new tricks to his arsenal.
Jokic has chance to go down as NBA GOAT
Some fans and media may be slow to admit it, but Jokic has a very real chance to go down as one of, if not the best, players of all time. He already has seven All-NBA appearances, three MVP Awards, the 2023 Finals MVP Award, and seven All-Star selections.
He could retire tomorrow, and would already be in rarified air, but there’s a lot of meat left on the bone for Jokic. He currently leads the league in rebounds and assists per game while averaging almost 30 points per game on elite shooting efficiency.
There’s no reason to think he can’t keep racking up MVP Awards and First Team All-NBA appearances over the next few years. And perhaps more importantly, the roster around him has caught up to his greatness. Jamal Murray is off to the best start of his career, and the team actually has a strong bench.
The Nuggets are squarely in the mix of title contenders this season, and that’s what Jokic needs. More than anything else, his legacy needs more winning. It has been no fault of his own, but to go down as a Top 5, Mt. Rushmore-type of player, he’s going to need more than one championship.
But if Jokic can add a couple more MVPs and championship rings to his resume, his legacy will be about as Teflon as it gets, and everything is in play. Take a minute as a Nuggets fan to appreciate that we are all witnessing and to be thankful he has never shown an interest in wearing any NBA jersey other than a Nuggets one.