The rapid surge of Nikola Jokic as one of the leading figures in the NBA has brought forward several comparisons with all-time greats. Aaron Gordon recently took it up a notch by drawing parallels between his Denver Nuggets teammate and the great Larry Bird. The 28-year-old even called the Serbian a cheat code while shedding light on his impact in deciding the outcome of the games.
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During Gordon’s latest appearance on SiriusXM NBA Radio, he outlined that the Nuggets players always remained aware of the position of their teammates. In the process, he highlighted how Jokic had perfected this craft, forcing the opposition to be drawn towards him. This opened up scoring opportunities for the rest of the roster while the talisman manipulated the opponent’s defense at his will.
Gordon believed this gameplay had similarities with Bird’s endeavors for the Boston Celtics in the 1980s. Comparing these two icons, he mentioned, “He [Nikola Jokic] is like 7ft 1″, 7ft 2″ Larry Bird. He is Larry but taller, bigger, and stronger. He is a cheat code for sure”.
Amidst the high praise, the comparison carried a certain volume. During his prime years, Bird made basketball look like an effortless sport. From scoring at his whim to uniquely facilitating for his teammates. At times, Larry Legend could seemingly do whatever he wanted on the court. Interestingly, modern-day NBA fans carry a similar perception of Jokic, validating the comparison between them.
As a result, this was not the first time these two talismanic figures were put into the same bracket. Several had done so previously, prompting the supporters to thoroughly consider the comparison.
This comparison has followed Nikola Jokic all his NBA life
Following his emergence in recent years, many analysts have compared Jokic to Bird. However, George Karl, the former head coach of the Nuggets, took matters a step further by incorporating various such greats in the discussion. A few days back, he wrote on X (formerly Twitter), “He has some Bird in his game, some Magic [Johnson], some [Tim] Duncan, and a lot a Sabonis. But really he’s 1 of 1. And maybe a GOAT one day“.
Amidst the buzz surrounding the debate, Bird admitted that he held Jokic in high regard. Expressing his admiration for the 2x MVP, he once mentioned, “I would love to play against him. He’s good. There are so many great centers over the history of our game, man, is he good. I just hope he stays healthy and be able to continue to do what he does because he is fun to watch”.
So, such comparisons may surface time and again in the future, prompting the fans to engage in debates and discussions. However, all these only point toward one ulterior point. Undoubtedly, the international star remains on track to be one of the greatest players to ever play in the NBA.
