NBA (DR)
If LeBron James wants to win a fifth championship title this year, he knows that his path will almost inevitably lead him to a duel with Nikola Jokic.
The King also addressed the case of the Joker with great frankness recently, on his podcast.
Are we taking Nikola Jokic for granted? The question is in any case valid as the Serb comes out of another crazy campaign.
Among the favorites for the MVP, he nevertheless sees many of his detractors affirm that he does not deserve it as much as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander or Luka Doncic, under the pretext that he would not have been as dominant on the floors than his colleagues.
And yet, it is difficult to question the record of the reigning champion.
Not only can the Nuggets (56 wins for 25 losses) still snatch first place in the Western Conference, but he has once again been the spearhead of a real steamroller.
His statistical averages in 2023-24? 26.5 points, 12.3 rebounds and 9 assists per game. Simply mind-blowing.
LeBron impressed by Nikola Jokic’s efficiency
Already elected MVP twice in his career, the Joker doesn’t care much about this kind of individual accolades.
But that doesn’t stop his peers from kneeling before him, starting with LeBron James.
The Lakers winger recently addressed the case of the pivot in his podcast Mind The Game and his admiration is palpable.
I saw a stat on Jokic last year, I don’t remember the exact number but during the Finals against Miami, he shot 70% when he was between the free throw line and the basket .
He receives the ball towards the throw line, either takes a mid-range shot or attempts a floater. In pass reception, it was like 74%. It’s completely crazy.
When he turns and he looks like he’s going to shoot, you say to yourself: “ok, I’m going to go and contest the shot” and in fact he has Aaron Superman Gordon coming in from the corner.
It’s difficult to be more complimentary from the Chosen One who is a true student of the game, just like Jokic. Note that he has not forgotten the alley-oop between the latter and Gordon during the last Nuggets-Lakers:
https://twitter.com/Keljax23/status/1778426099392786477?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1778426099392786477%7Ctwgr%5Ea19c488b6ad0d288f456490636c245fb6d281a74%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.parlons-basket.com%2F2024%2F04%2F14%2Fnba-lebron-james-hallucine-par-nikola-jokic-cest-dingue-jai-vu-quil-tournait-a%2F
Even LeBron James can only kneel in front of the talent of Nikola Jokic, who is heading straight towards a third MVP title.
No offense to the detractors of the Serbian giant, but it is never trivial when the King dubs you like this.
