NBA fans finally giving Nikola Jokic respect, but it’s not enough

Philadelphia sports fans love to bring up Nikola Jokic’s lack of jersey sales over the years and how his highlights don’t pop since he isn’t a Tomahawk 360 dunker type.

In new data released by the NBA, Jokic ranked higher than Joel Embiid in jersey sales and in highlights watched this season. Jokic’s slick passing is something fans are seeking out on social media while his jersey is being moved despite Denver being a relatively small market compared to most others ranking on the list.

Still, it’s wild that the back-to-back MVP who is one of the greatest offensive players in the history of the league barely cracked the top 10 for highlights watched and was 12th in jersey sales.

Big Market Jokic? pic.twitter.com/B96jVVChRC

— Swipa (@SwipaCam) April 12, 2023

Looking at the list of each shows all-timers like Steph Curry and LeBron James above Jokic, which hey, no sweat, those dudes are incredible winners. Other title winners like Giannis Antetokounmpo and recent NBA Finals appearance maker Jayson Tatum who plays in a big market are there too which makes sense given those things and their own shoe lines But what in the world is Jordan Poole doing right below Jokic on sales and above him on highlights watched?

Poole went for a little splashy on a title run as the team’s fifth-best player? Apparently, folks are so obsessed with the Warriors that a glorified Bones Hyland draws a similar economy to Jokic.

And what’s the deal with the Luka Doncic obsession? Once thought to be a possible MVP this season, his team didn’t make the Play-In. His furthest playoff run came last year into the conference finals, which Jokic has also been to. Of course, Jokic has earned many more personal awards. And given they’re from similar parts of the world the only differences between the two are play style and hometown market. Dallas is a lot bigger than Denver. And Luka gets treated a lot differently than Jokic, all the way down to his signature sneakers.

It’s cool to see that Denver’s star, who is arguably the best player in the league, has become a household name. But even then the Nuggets are still a step below other teams and players who don’t have as strong of a resume. Jokic is likely to just miss out on earning a third-straight MVP despite most numbers saying he was clearly the best player in the league again. Maybe a Jokic title will change everything and cement him in the LeBron-Curry-Giannis class?

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