Most athletes refer to themselves as Muhammad Ali whenever they have to make a boxing comparison. However, Nikola Jokic sees himself a little differently, which is not surprising by any means. During an appearance on the Run It Back show, the Joker’s Denver Nuggets teammate DeAndre Jordan revealed that the Serbian sees hints of former heavyweight champion, Tyson Fury, in himself.
Advertisement
DJ said that the Joker came up with the analogy recently. Apparently, Jokic looked at himself in the mirror and told his teammates that he was Tyson Fury. DJ understood what the Serbian superstar was trying to imply and he agreed with his analogy.
He told the Run It Back crew, “He looked at himself in the mirror, flexed, and said, ‘I am Tyson Fury.’ And I was like, you know what, I like that.”
Jokic had explained that the comp is to convey that they are both underrated athletes because of their appearance. Often others don’t see it, but he is “really really good.” DJ appreciated the confidence in his teammate and said, “That is something that I really love.”
Nikola Jokic and Tyson Fury prove that looks can be deceiving 💪 pic.twitter.com/XkWkcUIrfY
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) December 26, 2024
Chandler Parsons chimed in on the topic to say that he understands why Jokic went with someone like Fury instead of a more dangerous heavyweight like Mike Tyson. He said, “I’m scared like sh*t of Mike Tyson, but like, Tyson Fury is just as good but it’s less intimidating.” Fury is widely regarded as one of the greatest heavyweights of all time but he has a fun personality.
Another thing that ties Jokic with Fury is they have similar body types and height. 6’9 Fury has never been in a shape that’ll be considered ideal for a boxer. Despite that, he was undefeated until May this year after 35 fights.
Since then, he has lost back-to-back fights to the Ukrainian legend Oleksandr Usyk. On the other hand, 6’11 Jokic has become an NBA Champion and won three MVP titles despite not being in the best shape.
Nikola Jokic lost some weight during the 2019-20 season
During an interview on NBA on ESPN in February 2020, Jokic was asked about a visible change in his game. The Nuggets star said that he has made several changes to his overall game, including shedding some weight during the season. He said, “I was a little bit overweight and now I’ve lost a lot of weight and I’m feeling good out there.”
When asked how much weight did he lose, Jokic said, “About 200-25 pounds.” The Joker revealed that his strength coach came in with a diet and workout plan to help him achieve his goals. Jokic is a rare example in this category because even with being a little overweight, he has been at the top of his game.
The run that he has had in the league in the last four years is arguably one of the best by any player. After winning an NBA title, Finals MVP, three regular season MVPs, and making six All-Star appearances, he is on track to win another MVP title this season.
