Nikola Jokic is four wins away from becoming an NBA champion for the first time in his career. The Serbian big man has had an incredible 2022-23 season that can only be finished with a championship against the Miami Heat.
Jokic has already proven doubters wrong with his performances, and some have taken things to the next level. Fox Sports analyst Chris Broussard believes that if he wins the title this year, he’ll surpass four legends of the game: Kevin Durant, Kevin Garnett, Dirk Nowitzki, and Charles Barkley.
“If Nikola Jokić wins this championship he’s ahead of Kevin Garnett, probably Charles Barkley. If he wins he’s better than Dirk Nowitzki,” Broussard told on First Thing First.”
Moreover, he said that when Jokic’s career has finished, he will rank higher than Kevin Durant, one of the best players the NBA has ever seen.
“Not yet. But I think when Jokic’s career is all said and done, he’ll be ahead of Kevin Durant.”
Broussard explains that Jokic is doing a fantastic job leading the Nuggets to the NBA Finals, and he’s not stopping here. He even claimed that Dirk Nowitzki is overrated by a lot of people, and they shouldn’t be so surprised that Jokic will rank higher than the German legend.
Kevin Durant is a two-time NBA champion, one-time NBA MVP, and two-time Finals MVP. Dirk Nowitzki is an MVP award winner, NBA champion, and Finals MVP winner too. Kevin Garnett won an NBA championship in two trips to the Finals and is part of the exclusive groups of MVPs and DPOY award winners in NBA history.
Charles Barkley won an MVP, and he was never able to win the championship during his best years. Still, he remains one of the greatest legends in the history of the game.
With his current resume, the Joker will reach new heights if he wins an NBA championship. However, putting him ahead of these other legends seems like a reach, but Broussard is known for making controversial statements whenever he can.
Nikola Jokic Brutally Honest On If The Nuggets Are Favorites To Win The Title
Meanwhile, Jokic stays focused on the NBA Finals, as he’s closer to the goal than ever. The Nuggets are considered the big favorites against the Heat, but Jokic doesn’t want to entertain any of that. He knows Miami won’t be an easy rival by any means and warned everybody about this team.
The Nuggets have the same mindset: they won’t disrespect the Heat regardless of their seed, their number of stars, or the way they made it to the Finals. They know this is a difficult team that won’t hesitate to beat them.
