A title will make Jokic the greatest player in Colorado sports history
May 15, 2023, 6:22 AM
John Elway. Terrell Davis. Peyton Manning. Von Miller.
Joe Sakic. Peter Forsberg. Patrick Roy. Nathan MacKinnon. Cale Makar.
Those are the nine candidates worthy of inclusion in a very exclusive debate. All can make an argument as the greatest professional athlete in Colorado sports history.
Why? Because not only did they have legendary careers, all of which were or will be Hall of Fame worthy, but they also played their best in the playoffs.
They all received plenty of regular-season accolades. Their trophy cases are filled with MVPs, All-Star Games, Pro Bowl and other awards. But leading their teams to a parade through the streets of Denver is why they’re legends.
Nikola Jokic can join that conversation. In fact, he might put himself at the top of the list.
The Nuggets center already has two NBA Most Valuable Player awards, uncharted waters for anyone in franchise history. If the 2022-23 vote was conducted today instead of a month ago, the Joker would probably have won his third consecutive, as he’s thoroughly outplayed Joel Embiid in the postseason.
But that’s a moot point. It doesn’t really matter much to Jokic’s legacy.
Sure, joining a very select group of players to win three MVPs in a row would’ve been nice. But would it have really changed how anyone thought of Jokic as a player? Not really.
Getting his team to the NBA Finals, someplace the Nuggets have never been, would catapult him into a different sphere, however. Leading Denver to their first-ever title would put his name alongside other Mile High City legends.
Frankly, it would put him atop the list. Who would have a better resume than Jokic?
He already has more MVPs than Elway, Davis, Manning, Forsberg or Sakic. And even though he’d still be trailing some of them in championships, his would be more impressive.
Elway had Davis. And vice versa. Sakic, Forsberg and Roy were all on the ice together. So were MacKinnon and Makar.
They were all great players, but they were also surrounded by other stars. It was debatable which was most important to their respective title teams.
There’s no such debate with Jokic. He’d win a title with a roster that doesn’t even include another All-Star.
That’s not to say Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr. and Aaron Gordon aren’t good players. They are, as their contracts suggest. But are any of them great? If they were a team’s best player, would they even make the playoffs?
Again, that’s not a knock. It’s just a fact. The Nuggets are balanced, but they aren’t loaded. Jokic isn’t a part of a “super team.”
Most title-winning teams have at least two great players. Sometimes, they have three.
If Denver wins eight more games, they’ll have done it with one. And it will be because Jokic is the best basketball player in the world.
His performance through the first two rounds of the postseason has been off the charts. He’s averaging 30.7 points, 12.8 rebounds and 9.7 assists. His team is 8-3.
That’s finally starting to get noticed. Heck, even Kendrick Perkins, the ESPN pundit who pretty much singlehandedly cost Jokic the MVP this season has come around.
I’ve been in denial about Jokic and the Nuggets… but I MUST say that they are LEGIT. Carry the hell on…
— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) May 12, 2023
If he keeps it up, there won’t be any denying his greatness. Jokic’s ability to dominate the game in a variety of ways is unmatched in today’s NBA. It’s hardly rivaled in the history of the league.
That puts him alongside the all-time greats. That’s makes an argument for Jokic as the best player in Denver history, regardless of the sport.
He’s that good. And winning a title would mean that much.
Jokic is already the best Nugget ever. That’s a given. Now, he’s trying to join a very exclusive club, one that requires a championship for membership.
If he gets one, he’s in. And Nikola Jokic might just be the best of the bunch.
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