Nikola Jokic has easily become the game’s most dominant player of this era. A reigning three-time MVP and a one-time NBA Champion, the Joker does it all. Last year he averaged a Triple-Double and had his team one win away from another Conference Finals appearance. This is his league now, and everyone else is just a pawn in it.
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Having that kind of reputation could be a hard burden to bear. Many may presume that Jokic is akin to Kobe Bryant or Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, two legends who rubbed a lot of their teammates the wrong way due to their seriousness. Fortunately, the 30-year-old Serbian is nothing like that. At least, according to one of his ex-teammates.
DeAndre Jordan recently appeared on the All The Smoke podcast and pulled back the curtain on the Joker. When hosts Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson asked what kind of man Jokic is, both on the court and off, he didn’t hesitate too long to find an answer.
“He’s a great person,” responded Jordan instantly. “He’s a great teammate. All that sh** about him not caring about the game, that’s fabrication.” True fans of ball never bought into the idea that Nikola HATED the game, but it’s nice to hear it from an actual NBA star.
And that was just Jordan setting the stage for his appreciation for the future Hall of Famer. “He works extremely hard. He’s a great family person,” stated the one-time All-Star. “It was the easiest/hardest job backing him up because I’m like, ‘Damn I wanna play but who’s coming in the game?’ That kind of balance.”
“Watching him play, he’s got one of the highest IQs as a basketball player I’ve ever been around. He’s a super team-first, right-play kind of player. He’s one of the best players I’ve obviously ever played with,” he added.
That’s also not difficult to figure out. Any time the Nuggets are on Jokic finds a way to make a highlight. Whether it’s an insane full-court assist, a dynamite fadeaway trey, or just his ridiculous statistical finishes, there are no days off for Jokic. Every game is a statement.
But Barnes and Jackson also wanted to hear about Jokic off the court. And no surprise, Jordan revealed that he was just the best.
“He definitely crack jokes. He like rap songs. He listen to country music now. He’s a great teammate man. He wants to do the team dinner, the team bonding. Play cards.”
DeAndre’s stories only reinforce what fans have slowly learned over the years: Jokic isn’t just a once-in-a-generation talent, he’s a genuinely solid human being who happens to dominate everyone in his path.
He brings the work ethic of a superstar without the ego or drama that usually comes with it. On the court he’s a savant, off the court he’s just a guy who loves his teammates, cracks jokes, and keeps the vibe light. When you combine that kind of personality with that kind of greatness, it’s no wonder the Nuggets go as far as the Joker takes them.
