Larry Bird Expresses His Desire to Play Against Nikola Jokic

Larry Bird recently sat down with Reggie Miller and Isiah Thomas on NBA TV to discuss all things basketball, as the NBA moved to Bird’s home turf Indiana for the 2024 All-Star Weekend. While on the Basketball Stories Show, Bird was asked by Miller about his thoughts on the reigning Finals MVP Nikola Jokic. The Boston Celtics legend soon dived deep into the inner workings of the Joker’s game and even expressed a desire to match up against him.

Answering the question about the Denver Star, Bird said, “I would love to play against him [Jokic]. He is good. There are so many great centers in the history of our game…but man is he good. I hope he stays healthy and continues to do what he does, cause he is fun to watch.”

“When Golden State were healthy, they were fun to watch. Now, I have switched over to Denver,” the three-time NBA Champion added. Despite a center like Jokic being the centerpiece of the Nuggets, the 2023 NBA Champions are quite good at playing small ball. The Joker can be a nightmare from the perimeter and inside the paint. However, the Denver side truly flourishes when the opposing side clogging the paint prompts the Serbian to find open players outside the arc to shoot uncontested threes.

Therefore, it’s not surprising to see an elite three-point shooter like Bird be impressed by Jokic. The Golden State comparison also seems to be apt for the Nuggets.

Jokic’s game is surely something we haven’t seen before. He is by far the best passing center we have seen, as the Joker was placed third in assists last season, after averaging 9.8 assists over his 69 regular season appearances.

Even though both Bird and Jokic played different positions, they do share an uncanny similarity in their playing styles. Both Bird and Jokic are rather unathletic and slow on the floor but still somehow unstoppable. Moreover, they are great shooters of the basketball. Bird and the Joker have a similar shooting mechanism as well. Unlike the conventional shooter, who shoots in front of his head/face, both Bird and Jokic shoot from behind the head.

Even though the shooting mechanics may look off, both Jokic and Bird are lethal shooters. Jokic has averaged over 35% from the three-point land in his career, while Bird averaged over 37% from three, even with his unorthodox shot.

The Jokic-Bird comparison

The comparisons between Bird and Jokic have occurred for a while now. The duo share a similar approach to the game, and even Charles Barkley seems to agree. During an appearance on the Dan Patrick Show, Barkley went in on the comparison, “He reminds me of Larry Bird and Magic Johnson because neither one of those guys had exceptional athletic ability, but they are two of the greatest players ever because of hard work, brains, and work ethic.”

Even though many would agree that Jokic has a lot of work to do to catch up to Magic and Bird, Dennis Rodman would disagree. According to Rodman, Jokic is already the superior player, a better fit for this era and possibly even their time( 80’s and 90’s). Talking about it further, Rodman said,

“If Larry Bird played in this era, I think he’d be in Europe…I think the kid from Denver ( Nikola Jokic) is way better than him.”

These comments from Rodman are interesting, but clearly hyperbolic. Larry Bird is possibly one of the greatest shooters in NBA history. Bird not only played outside the three but also played inside and penetrated the lane a lot. Bird was possibly a better defender, but was surely not the passer that Jokic is. Bird revolutionized the game with his playstyle, giving birth to a philosophy that many players like Reggie Miller and Michael Jordan would later adopt. Bird was possibly the first player to prove that “shooting wins championships”.