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Nikola Jokic has had one of the best story arcs in the NBA so far. He became the first second-round draft pick to win the prestigious MVP award. Recently, his excellent form helped the Denver Nuggets dispatch the Los Angeles Lakers in the playoff-opening game on Saturday night. As a result, Hall of Famer James Worthy took his compliment a notch higher.
Worthy appeared on Spectrum Sportsnet Live postgame show to talk about the Nuggets superstar. One could say it was the most praise Jokic ever received in his career. The Lakers legend compared Nikola Jokic’s gameplay to other Lakers greats, Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
To me, he is Magic and Kareem on the floor at the same time. He's a guard; he makes great decisions… hell of a passer. And then, when he wants to be Kareem, he goes out and dominates. He's a special player that does a lot of things, and your antennas have to be up... can't have lapses with him. James Worthy via Spectrum Sportsnet Live
There’s no denying that ‘the Joker’ possesses the playmaking ability of Magic Johnson and the physical presence of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. This has led many people to question if he can be stopped as he aims to lead the Denver Nuggets to a back-to-back NBA title.
James Worthy on greatness of Jokic:
— SportsComedyRap (@SuperDopeHipHop) April 21, 2024
“To me Jokic is Magic Johnson & Kareem on the floor at the same time.”
He’s been ILLmatic since 2020-21 yet goobers like @GilsArenaShow @getnickwright spew nonsense like “He’s worst MVP of last 40yrs” among many other embarrassing Joker takes. pic.twitter.com/ikJXWO5zS1
His performance during the comeback win against the Lakers demonstrated these abilities. Jokic ended up with 32 points, 12 rebounds, and seven assists. Although he doesn’t have the resumes of both players, he is undoubtedly making a case for it.
Darvin Ham’s controversial Nikola Jokic statement after game one loss
Nikola Jokic helped the Nuggets recover from a 12-point first-half deficit against the LA Lakers to rally in the second half and eventually win the game by 11 points. Coach Darvin Ham, after the game, addressed the media about the Joker’s performance, which seemed a bit controversial.
According to Jovan Buha of The Athletic, Darvin Ham said the ‘Purple and Gold’ didn’t make use of all their adjustments against Jokic in Game 1 and still have a few more to throw at him. While the statement isn’t exactly controversial, it just showed that the Lakers didn’t do enough to stop Jokic and a team that has defeated them in nine straight games
Darvin Ham says the Lakers have a couple more adjustments they’re going to throw at Nikola Jokic. He added the Lakers didn’t want to use all of their adjustments in Game 1.
— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) April 21, 2024
Coach Ham said it would be a hard-fought series as competing against Jokic is not a cakewalk. Some experts have picked the Lakers to upset the Nuggets in the first round. As such, Ham must employ the much required adjustments in the next game to help the Lakers stop Jokic and the Nuggets.
More must-reads:
- Knicks' Villanova trio knocks out the 76ers in Philadelphia
- Pacers ride bench to first playoff series win in 10 years
- The 'Highest career PPG in the playoffs' quiz
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