Placing a label on Nikola Jokic’s recreation has lengthy been a virtually not possible problem for evaluators. Jokic himself is perhaps the one individual to successfully do it. As he was leaving house within the northern a part of Serbia to enter the 2014 NBA Draft, Jokic informed groups precisely who he was: a “fats level guard.”

Jokic confirmed as much as his first professional gig at Mega Vizura weighing 300 lbs. He was consuming three liters of soda per day, consuming “cheese pies” for breakfast, and he couldn’t do one push-up. Basketball gamers are speculated to be lengthy, lean, and quick, with springs of their legs. Jokic was chubby, sluggish, and gravity-bound. The Denver Nuggets had been intrigued by what they noticed on tape, if not completely bought. When Jokic’s advisor put out a tweet saying his consumer would pull out of the draft and return to Vizura, the Nuggets made the best second spherical promise in league historical past to make sure he didn’t file the paperwork.

Pre-draft scouting stories in contrast Jokic to Pero Antic. Denver didn’t precisely see him as their middle of the longer term. The Nuggets had two first spherical picks that yr after pulling off a commerce with the Chicago Bulls, they usually used the primary one to draft a distinct worldwide large man in Jusuf Nurkic. The second spherical of the draft is infrequently a spot to discover a high quality starter, not to mention a famous person. When Denver lastly got here on the clock in spherical two, their collection of Jokic was introduced throughout a Taco Bell business.

Eight seasons later, Jokic stands alone on the NBA mountaintop. The Denver Nuggets’ 2023 championship was a real crew effort, however Jokic was the singular pressure of nature who made it potential. He nonetheless appears nothing like conventional famous person, however his talent set is each extra full and extra calibrated for this period of the game than any participant of his technology.

Jokic is arguably the most important and strongest participant within the NBA — nobody within the league is listed heavier than his 284 kilos. Calling him one of the best passing large man of all-time is promoting him a bit quick: he’s among the best passers ever, no matter place. All the eye on Jokic’s playmaking generally threatens to remove from the opposite elements of his recreation. He’s one of many league’s finest rebounders. He simply shot 46.1 p.c from three all through the Nuggets’ run within the 2023 playoffs. He’s a talented ball handler within the open flooring, a deft scorer within the submit, and he has a sixth sense for seeing how a play will develop earlier than it really occurs.

What’s Nikola Jokic? He’s a little bit Shaq, a little bit Dirk, a little bit Magic, a little bit Arvydas Sabonis. Put extra merely, he’s one of the best basketball participant on the earth.

Photograph by Joe Murphy/NBAE by way of Getty Pictures

Jokic by no means deliberate on coming over to the NBA proper after he was drafted. As an alternative, he returned to his membership in Belgrade and went from a proficient teenager to among the best gamers in Europe. Jokic was named MVP of the Adriatic League at 19 years outdated, igniting hope that Denver may need discovered a steal with their draft-and-stash.

Jokic got here stateside the following yr to a Nuggets crew in transition. Denver had efficiently labored its manner out of the blockbuster Carmelo Anthony commerce to start out the last decade, however the group that had gained 57 video games a number of years earlier was a shell of itself after Andre Iguodala left for the Warriors and head coach George Karl was fired. The Nuggets had been content material on constructing by way of the draft. Emmanuel Mudiay was speculated to be their subsequent franchise star as their lottery decide within the 2015 draft, and Nurkic was speculated to be their large man of the longer term.

Jokic modified all that. With Nurkic out recovering from a torn left patellar tendon, Jokic began 55 video games and impressed sufficient to complete third in Rookie of the 12 months voting behind Karl-Anthony Cities and Kristaps Porzingis. The Nuggets gained solely 33 video games, and used their No. 7 total decide within the draft — acquired in a decide swap from the Anthony commerce with the Knicks — to draft one other guard, Kentucky’s Jamal Murray.

The NBA was getting smaller, quicker, and extra expert, but the Nuggets had been attempting to construct round two facilities. Denver started the following season with each Jokic and Nurkic within the beginning lineup. After a 3-5 begin, Jokic went into Mike Malone’s workplace and informed him he would come off the bench. Denver stored shedding with Nurkic because the starter. Finally, Malone made his selection: the Nuggets would begin Jokic as their lone large, and construct the crew round his odd-ball expertise. Nurkic responded by requesting a commerce, finally being dealt to Portland.

It took a while for the Nuggets to determine the roster. With Jokic as their supersized level guard, Denver wanted gamers who might minimize, shoot, and defend round him. Murray was a pure match. Mudiay and Kenneth Faried weren’t. The crew was beginning to construct an elite offense with Jokic as their centerpiece, however the protection was struggling. The crew signed Paul Millsap to a three-year, $90 million deal to offer their younger star assistance on the inside defensively. The Nuggets gained 46 video games of their first yr with Millsap, however didn’t make the playoffs after they misplaced to Jimmy Butler and Minnesota Timberwolves on the final day of the season for the No. 8 seed.

The Nuggets had been extra skilled and extra assured the following yr. They gained 54 video games in 2019, successful a Recreation 7 within the first spherical in opposition to the San Antonio Spurs, and shedding a Recreation 7 within the second spherical to the Portland Path Blazers. Jokic was good, incomes First-Workforce All-NBA honors.

The pandemic interrupted the following season, however Denver confirmed the league what they might be contained in the bubble. The Nuggets erased a 3-1 deficit within the first spherical of the playoffs to beat the Utah Jazz. Then they erased a 3-1 deficit within the second spherical of the playoffs to beat the Clippers. Jokic and the Nuggets misplaced to the eventual champion Los Angeles Lakers within the convention finals, however the groundwork had been laid. The Nuggets simply wanted to fine-tune their course of, beginning with Jokic.

Photograph by Justin Edmonds/Getty Pictures

Jokic nonetheless didn’t have any muscle definition the bare eye might see, however the years lengthy course of of adjusting his eating regimen and getting his physique in higher form was paying off. Jokic was taking part in with extra tempo on offense, and turning right into a stable crew defender who was all the time in the correct place.

Jokic’s all-around recreation was positioning him as an MVP candidate. Murray had taken his status to the following degree with an unimaginable run contained in the bubble. Denver knew it wanted extra athleticism and extra protection round their stars. On the commerce deadline, the Nuggets swung a take care of the Orlando Magic to land Aaron Gordon.

Denver appeared like championship materials for these first few video games with Gordon within the lineup. Then Murray tore his ACL, and all of a sudden Denver might do nothing however sit again and wait.

Jokic gained MVP in 2021 and 2022, however the Nuggets solely had one playoff sequence win to indicate for it. The crew merely by no means had an opportunity with out Murray because the dynamic shot-creator and shot-maker they wanted paired with Jokic within the backcourt. Denver might have made a panic transfer, however as an alternative they stayed the course and fleshed out the roster sluggish and regular. The crew added extra protection by buying and selling long-time stalwarts Monte Morris and Will Barton for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. They struck gold with a cut price free agent signing in Bruce Brown.

The Nuggets had been one of the best crew within the West all season as Murray returned to the lineup, however doubts continued — particularly because the crew took its foot off the fuel after the All-Star break. The second half ‘swoon’ value Jokic the possibility to be the league’s first three-peat MVP winner since Larry Chook, however particular person awards weren’t by no means essential to him. As an alternative, the Nuggets had been taking part in the lengthy recreation, and the one prize that mattered was the championship.

From the second the playoffs opened, the Nuggets appeared like one of the best crew within the area. Their post-All-Star slide was extra of a characteristic than a bug: the crew was well-rested and able to roll by way of opponents within the postseason.

As Jokic and the Nuggets made their run to the Finals, his dominance was lastly appreciated in full. Critics had no leg to face on because the legends of the game praised Jokic at each flip.

“Jokic is an all-time nice,” Kevin Durant stated after Jokic averaged 34.5 factors, 13.2 rebounds and 10.3 assists to get rid of the Phoenix Suns. “Going to go down as one of many all-time nice facilities to ever contact a basketball.”

“I understand how nice he’s,” LeBron James stated of Jokic after the Nuggets swept the Lakers within the convention finals.

The Miami Warmth by no means had an answer for his or her Jokic drawback within the championship sequence. He posted triple-doubles in victories in Recreation 1 and Recreation 3. He empowered his teammates to take and make large photographs, with a distinct hero rising amongst Denver’s function gamers each night time. Jokic was the fixed: scoring inside, splashing threes, hitting teammates for open appears, and maybe most consequentially, holding his personal on protection on the rim.

The Nuggets secured their first championship in franchise historical past with a Recreation 5 win on Monday night time. All Jokic did was develop into the primary participant to steer the playoffs in factors (600), rebounds (269), and assists (190) in league historical past.

When it was over, Jokic appeared extra relieved than enthused. “The job is finished,” he informed ABC. “We will go house now.”

The younger participant who as soon as referred to as himself a “fats level guard” nonetheless had that deadpan humorousness. Greater than something, Jokic’s response cemented that none of this got here straightforward. Horse racing is Jokic’s ardour. Basketball is figure.

It was laborious work to cease consuming all that soda. It was laborious work to make his physique sturdy sufficient for push-ups, not to mention to face up to the physicality of an NBA playoff run. He didn’t put in all that work for particular person accolades. As he stood within the nook as his teammates celebrated within the locker room, Jokic might take consolation that each one of his laborious work was for them.

Jokic is a uncommon famous person for a thousand totally different causes. He’s the second spherical decide who was an MVP, the “delicate” Euro who bucked each stereotype, the slow-footed middle who dominated the pace-and-space period. Past all of that, Jokic stands out for a way full his recreation is. Nearly his solely gap is his incapacity to leap over a ruler. Jokic confirmed how unimportant that actually is on this run.

Nobody can ever query Nikola Jokic once more. On this second, he’s nothing lower than one of the best on the earth.