It's almost unheard of in today's era, but Denver's two stars, Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, have spent 10 years together on the same roster. Although they've only been able to play together for nine, as Murray missed the entire 2021-22 season due to injury, it offers up a nice hypothetical: where do they rank against the great combos in NBA history who've spent 10-plus years together?
We're witnessing greatness every game out from Jokic, the best basketball player on the planet. And his partner in crime, Murray, made his first (there should've been more) All-Star Game this year. It's only the 2nd time in Nuggets history that they've done that. In 2010, Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups were the other pair.
Where do they stack up against all-time great duos?
Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. Karl Malone and John Stockton. Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Jerry West and Elgin Baylor. Larry Bird and Robert Parish. It's a fabled list of Hall of Famers that all spent 10-plus years together.
But I don't think the Nuggets duo cracks the list. Yet. They haven't won enough championships, and Murray doesn't quite have the accolades they do. But you could argue that with one title, they could be equal to or better than Stockton and Malone, who never won a championship together. And if they add one or two more, the conversation certainly opens up to move them up the list.
It would also be easier to rank them higher on any all-time duo list if Jamal Murray hadn't missed so much time. Murray hasn't played more than 67 games in a season since 2019-20, but his per-game averages are just as good as any of the stars listed above. Murray's in his fifth-straight season scoring over 20 points per game, and he's been over 6 assists the last four.
And Nikola Jokic's numbers are off the charts. He's the most efficient player in NBA history. On stats alone, Jokic and Murray are as good as anyone on that list.
But despite being the top long-term duo in today's NBA, Jokic and Murray don't get enough credit for the stability they've given the franchise and Nuggets fans over the last decade. NBA players have been leaving town for greener pastures (larger contracts) far more often than staying loyal to their fanbases and cities over the last 25 years. One player sticking around for 10 or more years is rare enough, let alone two playing at All-Star caliber levels.
And recently, the duo has made statements about their desire to stay in Denver for the duration of their careers. They don't fight. It gives Nuggets fans a reason to smile and be happy, just as Murray and Jokic have been at the NBA's All-Star Weekend. And thanks to those recent statements, the smiles may last for years to come.