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Ex-NBA Player Makes Nikola Jokic Revelation, It Has To Do With Kobe Bryant

Originally posted on Athlon Sports
By Nathaniel Holloway | Last updated Jan 17, 2025 3:00 PM ET

The Denver Nuggets have had a solid season thus far and their superstar center Nikola Jokić once again finds himself as a frontrunner to win yet another MVP award.

While Jokić has become arguably the best NBA player currently, former player Chandler Parsons recently made a statement about his rankings on the all-time list and where he compares to Los Angeles Lakers’ legend Kobe Bryant.

“Most people would say Kareem (Abdul-Jabbar), Wilt (Chamberlain), Bill (Russell), (Larry) Bird, Magic (Johnson)… Tim Duncan, Jokić, or Steph (Stephen Curry),” Parsons said on the Run It Back show about players he believes are better than Kobe. “There’s current players you might rank in front of Kobe.”

While this is a very controversial take, which most all-time lists are, Parsons does make a solid point. Jokić has become arguably the best current player in the NBA and he is climbing the all-time list.

In his nine seasons in the NBA, Jokić is already a three-time MVP, NBA champion and six-time All-Star. His skillset has never been seen before from a player of his size, which has been on full display this season as he is almost averaging a triple-double as a center.

Jokić might also be well on his way to winning his fourth MVP award this season as he is currently averaging 30.6 points, 13.2 rebounds, 9.9 assists and 1.8 steals per game while shooting 55/5% from the field and 47.1% from three.

While Jokić has already had an incredible career, the 29-year-old still has a lot of his career ahead of him, so Parsons may be a little early in naming him a better player than Kobe.

Of course, Kobe is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in NBA history. He was a five-time NBA champion, two-time MVP and 18-time All-Star in his 20 seasons with the Lakers.

While the debate over who is a better player can go on forever, most can agree that both Kobe and Jokić are great players no matter which ranks ahead of the other.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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