![]() ![]() This season, he joined Wilt Chamberlain as the only players to average a triple-double in multiple playoff series in a single postseason. The numbers representing Jokic’s sheer dominance share less company these days. He ultimately developed a new unorthodox move called the “Sombor Shuffle” - named for his hometown of Sombor - that would later torment defenses.įrom full-court dimes to filthy give-and-go plays, relive the best of Nikola Jokic-Jamal Murray 2-man game this postseason. How many MVPs created their signature move because of an injury? While rehabbing his left ankle, Jokic tried not to put weight on his compromised foot as he got shot ups in practice. Those rankings do not including NBA draftees who played elsewhere and then were re-drafted into the NBA (Elgin Baylor) or joined in the 1976 NBA-ABA merger (George Gervin and Dan Issel). ![]() Of all players drafted 31st or later, Jokic’s career averages rank second in points, third in rebounds, fourth in assists and first in win shares per 48 minutes. Jokic won the Adriatic League MVP and Top Prospect awards in 2015, honors that immediately preceded Denver signing him to a rookie contract that summer. Jokic played one more year overseas, and the extra seasoning only solidified the hints of potential. Though they drafted Jokic in 2014, the Nuggets had to wait an extra year to bring their future franchise big man into the fold. The Nuggets would subsequently promise to select the Serbian prospect at No. Nikola Jokic, 95, withdraw his name from the draft. Roughly two weeks before the 2014 NBA Draft, Jokic’s name was temporarily removed from the pool of candidates, a decision his agent tweeted about at the time. One year of seasoning and improvement later, Denver drafted him 41st overall. He averaged a whopping 1.8 points and 2 rebounds in 10.2 minutes per game in the 2012-13 season. After tiptoeing into the professional ranks for all of six months, a 17-year-old Jokic joined Mega Leks (Serbia) in 2012. ![]() Jokic’s basketball path to the NBA was short and steep that’s a credit to how quickly he became a pro prospect. Nikola Jokic of the World Team boxes out against the USA Team on Apat the Moda Center Arena in Portland, Oregon. At the time, full games were not broadcast in Serbia. Highlights of Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant initially caught his attention, then clips of great passers and big men. I was in between both.” In fact, as a pre-teen, he once quit basketball and left a game at halftime for a chariot horse race.Ī young Jokic’s only window into the NBA was YouTube, and he didn’t even look through it until he was roughly 14 years old. And I wasn’t taking basketball serious either. The small-town Serbian developed a deep appreciation for the animals, telling SLAM, “I just fell in love with horses and their beauty and elegance. There’s an alternate universe where, instead of directing the most devastating offense in the NBA, Nikola Jokic is content riding or at least caring for racing horses. In high school, I couldn’t do one pushup.” I loved some classes - math, history, that’s pretty much it. “I was taller than most of the guys and girls, and fattest, too. ![]() Many professional athletes show an early proclivity for sports. We try to put it in context with 15 interesting facts about the most notable No. His ascent from little-known Draft prospect to this point is nothing short of extraordinary. Nikola Jokic, the two-time Kia MVP and most dominant player of the 2023 playoffs, has the Denver Nuggets in the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history. Ben Taylor from Thinking Basketball analyzes the brilliant passing of Nikola Jokic and puts his skills in context among some of the game’s all-time best. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |