In January 2024, before reaching 29 years of age, Nikola Jokic became the youngest player to register 13,000 points, 6,000 rebounds, and 4,000 assists. He unseated his Western Conference rival LeBron James to lodge yet another impressive feat. Considering his knack for shattering records, and his leadership, some voices have argued that he is building a solid case for the GOAT title. In the latest incident, the Nuggets’ former head coach George Karl endorsed his candidacy for the ultimate honor.
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Karl was with the Nuggets from 2005 to 2013. He was fired just a year before the Nuggets drafted Jokic as the #41 pick in the second round of the 2014 draft. On X, the 2013 Coach of the Year relayed his thoughts about the Joker potentially becoming a GOAT. He referred to the comments by FS1 analyst Chris Broussard and renowned podcast Bill Simmons who compared the 2023 Finals MVP to Larry Bird and Magic Johnson.
For Karl, these comparisons aren’t sufficient enough. He believes that the versatile Center is a mix of Bird, Johnson, Tim Duncan, and Arvydas Sabonis. At the same time, he acknowledged Jokic’s uniqueness. He also expressed that the Serbian maestro can be the GOAT someday,
Such praise has been constant for the phenomenal Center. The 2x MVP has set the NBA world on fire since the beginning of the 2020s. His resume will be more decorated once he hangs up his boots. However, he still has a long way to go for being in the GOAT conversation, though he seems to be on the right path.
The Joker is on the path to unparalleled ascension
The current iteration of the NBA doesn’t allow defenders to bang the offensive players on the post, unlike the pre-2010s era. Thus, for 4x champion John Salley, it is unfair to compare the Joker to the past great Centers. As per Salley, the current NBA big men crop is limited in their capacity to hinge the low-post and high-post operator.
This allows Jokic to dominate in multiple ways. However, the former Pistons Center didn’t disregard Jokic’s greatness and urged that if he sustains the current form deep into his career, he can have a case for the greatest center of all time.
“He gotta have 15 years in the league to figure out where he is gonna be…Like I said, the way he plays is entirely different. They let him do a lot of things and you are not allowed to hit him. So, if you’re not allowed to use your body on a guy who is all body, he is gonna be able to do whatever he wants.”
In May 2023, after the Nuggets took a 2-0 lead against the Suns in the first round, Shaquille O’Neal deemed him the “greatest nonathletic, non-fast, non-powerful big man” he has ever seen. He is baffled when he watches the Serbian powerhouse getting 4-5 rebounds just on his “tippy-toes”. This is a huge compliment from Shaq who is usually harsh on Centers.
