Nikola Jokic has certainly established himself as one of the best to ever play basketball. However, former Denver Nuggets head coach George Karl is convinced the Joker has a case for the GOAT title.
Karl shared as much in his latest social media post a day after witnessing Jokic lead the Nuggets to a massive Game 1 win over the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Playoffs. The 72-year-old, one-time Coach of the Year shared that Jokic might just be the “best player” he has ever seen, even despite living at a time when the likes of Michael Jordan, Julius Erving, Tim Duncan, Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James were at their peaks and dominating the league.
“I’ve been around hoops for 50 years and I’ve seen a lot of incredible players, including Connie, Julius, Michael, Tim, Shaq, KAJ, Kobe and LBJ. But, at this point, I’m thinking Jokic may be the best player I’ve ever seen play basketball,” Karl wrote.
There is no denying that Jokic is already an all-time great. He is a two-time MVP and is well on his way to winning his third one. Some could even argue he should have won the award in the 2022-23 season and should have been on his way to a fourth straight MVP this campaign.
Not to mention that Jokic is already an NBA Champion, with a legitimate chance to add another Larry O’Brien silverware to his trophy room. With that being said, Karl’s GOAT argument for Jokic may have some merits.
But at the end of the day, the Joker has yet to really show he can win multiple championships and maintain his dominance for years. Until he does so, it might be hard for many to put him in that conversation.
NBA fans react to George Karl’s Nikola Jokic GOAT take
Sure enough, plenty of NBA fans took issue with George Karl’s take about Nikola Jokic. While no one is doubting the Nuggets star’s greatness, many are not convinced he’s already at that level to be mentioned with the likes of Michael Jordan.
“George, I think Jokic is amazing but seriously what kind of mind altering concoction are you mixing in your basement?” former NBA player-turned-broadcaster Eddie Johnson said in response.
A fan argued, “I’ve been a Jokic fan from his rookie season, but this is ridiculous. He’s not the best player you’ve seen; he’s not even the best white player currently playing (that would be Luka Dončić).”
“He’s not, and the more Karl talks, the more respect I lose for him. He’s not going to mention the greats he played and coached against, as all of them kicked his a**,” a third commenter said.
Others tried to make sense of what Karl is saying, while some did show support over his take.
“Been watching the NBA since the late 1970’s (Bucks teams) and Jokic has the highest basketball IQ I’ve ever seen. He is almost an idiot savant,” one supporter shared.
“He really is one of the greatest offensive threats the game has ever seen that’s for sure,” another one said.
A fan commented, “He is bro, I’m mean Coach Karl, people are fighting the fact that they are seeing historic greatness in a time like today… it’s historic… he’s top 5. In his 9th year. Crazy.”
Regardless of what others say, though, it’s clear that Karl is a huge Jokic fan. Maybe with another MVP win and a title, more people will agree with the former NBA coach’s take.
More must-reads: