The world lost another NBA legend as Bill Walton passed away yesterday at the age of 71. Battling Cancer for the past few years, Walton’s demise prompted the NBA community to recall his words with heavy hearts. Amid other things, the two-time NBA Champion’s comments on Nikola Jokic resurfaced online recently.
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Walton made some interesting comments about the Denver Nuggets’ star center, Nikola Jokic back in 2018. He drew comparisons between Jokic and historic leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi in a very specific context.
“He’s a beautiful player who plays a mental game. He has what seems to have been lost in the world, which is peripheral vision…But Nikola Jokic is the antidote to so many of our problems in the world,” Walton wrote.
“When you see someone like a Nelson Mandela or a Martin Luther King or a Mahatma Gandhi, someone who sees the future before anyone else does, knows how to get to where they need to be, where they want to be, that is Nikola Jokic. In a game that has been taken over by incessant dribbling for yourself, Nikola Jokic is such a breath of fresh air,” he added.
What Bill Walton said about Jokic back in 2018 pic.twitter.com/VwYOoSZQuV
— chuy (@closedhihxt) May 27, 2024
Bill Walton’s comparison of Nikola Jokic with the great world leaders comes in the context of his vision on the court. Walton emphasized how the game has changed over the years, with excessive dribbling taking over selfless basketball, along with isolation plays.
In the era of guards, Jokic rose to fame with his excellent passing and court vision as a big man, finding open teammates alongside running plays. Walton saw the selflessness and the clarity of vision in the Joker long before the NBA world would hail his greatness. Jokic and the Nuggets’ title run in 2023 would finally convince the NBA world about his decided greatness.
Bill Walton praising Nikola Jokic
Bill Walton was one of the best centers in his time. He won the Sixth Man of the Year award, along with an MVP, and a Finals MVP as well. He also has two NBA championships under his belt.
Injuries caused Walton to slow down during his career. But his game was quite similar to that of Nikola Jokic. The former Portland Trail Blazers star had exceptional vision and would often run the team’s offense from the point or from the paint.
After his successful title run, Walton was all praises about the Serbian basketball phenom. He even compared Jokic to the likes of Albert Einstein and Beethoven, as per BleacherReport, saying,
“I had the privilege of watching Pelé play soccer, Joe Montana play football, and Larry Bird play basketball. These guys saw something before it happened. Mozart, Beethoven, Einstein. They saw the future. Tony Hawk revolutionized the realm of the possible in skateboarding. And Jokic sees things before they happen. His decision-making is spectacular.”
The world will miss Bill Walton and his ability to judge greatness.
