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LeBron James Makes Surprising Nikola Jokic Admission in Firm Message to NBA Media

Originally posted on EssentiallySports | By Rishi Rajpoot | Last updated Nov 28, 2025 2:18 PM ET

The greatest players make the game look easy, and that’s what Nikola Jokic has been doing this season. The Denver Nuggets superstar has been almost flawless so far in the 2025-26 campaign, and yet you don’t see him make the headlines as often as he should. However, that doesn’t mean his performances have gone completely under the radar, because LeBron James has been keeping an eye on Jokic.

The Los Angeles Lakers veteran, who’s also a huge basketball fan, has been massively impressed by Jokic’s consistency this season, despite the campaign still being in its early days. So much so that he recently admitted that the Serbian big man is the single most dominant player he’s ever played against.

“I will say this. There has not been a more dominant complete player that I’ve played against in a sense of all the attributes that you just mentioned, from the passing to the shooting to the rebounding to the attention,” he said during a candid conversation with former NBA star Steve Nash on the Mind the Game podcast.

James highlighted Nikola Jokic’s incredible adaptability on the offensive end. He mentioned that the three-time MVP can do it all, no matter how the opposition plans to stop him. Well, certainly the 30-year-old center can not only score from all three levels, but also defend and facilitate at a pretty high level. We mean, his insane triple-double stat line speaks for itself.

The former NBA champion is currently averaging 29.6 points along with 12.8 rebounds, and 11.1 assists per game. Now, while that’s impressive to say the least, he’s also doing that with incredible efficiency. Nikola Jokic is shooting at an incredible 62.6 percent from the field. After all, that’s why LeBron James went as far as stating that if someone loves basketball, they should watch a Nuggets game.

Oct 6, 2025; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) makes a pass against the Toronto Raptors in the second half at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images

“As a true basketball fan, I love the game and everything that comes with it. I mean, if people sit here and say they love the game and they love watching greatness, then tune in to a Nuggets game. And if you didn’t tune in last night with him versus the Clippers you missed you missed the dandy,” James emphasized.

There’s no denying that watching Nikola Jokic make those slick passes or seeing him make even the toughest of shots easy is something every basketball fan should witness. Just last night, the Joker put up yet another triple-double performance (17 points, 10 rebounds, and 16 assists) against the Memphis Grizzlies, helping improve his team’s season record to 13-4.

However, it seems like everyone has gotten so used to seeing Jokic’s greatness that they’ve stopped realizing just how good he actually is. And LeBron James wants to change that, as he also sent a firm message to the NBA media during the podcast.

LeBron James demands more respect from the media for Nikola Jokic

Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James has never been shy of presenting his views to the public. Whether it’s about his own game or about any other player or coach, the 40-year-old speaks his mind. That’s exactly what he did while discussing Nikola Jokic. When his co-host Steve Nash pointed out that even though Jokic has been phenomenal, we’re just three weeks into the season, James quickly intervened.

“We know it’s only three weeks, but three weeks is a lot of basketball,” he said. “Like, we’re not talking three games, you know? We’re not talking three or four nights, we’re talking three weeks of just complete flawless dominance. That no matter if that’s three weeks or not, that’s a lot of games, and that’s a lot of great basketball.”

Sep 30, 2024; El Segundo, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) during media day at the UCLA Health Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The four-time NBA champion simply stated that Jokic’s performances cannot be taken for granted. “He’s so good that people barely talk about it, right? It’s like, ‘oh well,’ like it’s just normal. It’s this is not normal. It’s not normal what he’s doing, guys. I’m sorry. It’s not normal,” James further pointed out.

The veteran forward seemingly demanded more attention from the NBA media and the fans as well. He suggested that it’s high time everyone came together and appreciated the Denver Nuggets star’s greatness. While he does make it seem easy, that’s not actually the case. So, we all should enjoy his greatness while it lasts; rather than taking it for granted and regretting it later.

This article first appeared on EssentiallySports and was syndicated with permission.

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