NIKOLA JOKIC is not of this world.
Fine, let’s put it this way: This version of Denver Nuggets do-all frontman Nikola Jokic is playing like the best basketball player in the world right now.
The skills, stats and eyeballs all pass the same test; at 6-11 and 26 years old, Jokic has become the most uniquely skilled player in the Association today. Because despite his fun-loving Joker persona and unheralded path to the NBA via the 41st pick in the 2014 Draft out of Sombor, Serbia, Jokic is both the League’s frontrunner for MVP (as of this writing) and perhaps its most unsolvable matchup equation.
If he does take home the MVP crown, he’ll be the lowest-drafted player in NBA history to claim the honors, and the first in Nuggets team history. Still, how the Joker ascended from quiet second-round pick into one of the most unguardable players on Earth, and fearless leader of those Nuggets, well, that’s another thing.
“HE’S AN algorithm,” Nuggets President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly tells us. “The game’s going at half speed for him…he’s impossible to guard.”
Jokic is a problem, alright, one that 29 other teams are routinely left scratching their collective heads on just how exactly it is you stop this guy.
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The SUMMER THAT WASN'T
Playground entry fences chain locked. Rims removed. Leagues canceled. Summer basketball just stopped in 2020. And as its effects extended beyond the blacktop, we were reminded why it's so important.
METAMORPHOSIS
The sport of basketball speaks to so many people in so many ways. Dan Peterson, the founder of Project Backboard, has teamed up with artists to use the beauty of the sport to turn local courts into works of art that are accessible to all.
WHERE THERE'S SMOKE, THERE'S Fire
For former No. 1 pick Deandre Ayton, the last three years have had their ups and downs. Now that he and the Phoenix Suns are back on the way up, DA wants everyone to know that's where they're planning to stay.
Now What?
As North Carolina rapper J. Cole transitioned from up-and-comer to full-blown vet, he came to a realization: staying sharp and fighting off complacency ain't easy. Inspired by his love for basketball and his desire to remain on top of the game, the 36-year-old has been treating music like a competitive sport while he readies his next project: The Off-Season.
ONE STEP AT A Time
NBA and G League vet Jeremy Lin and Loyola Marymount's Anthony Yu speak candidly about the ups and downs of being Asian American in the basketball world.
THE GARDEN Blooms
The Knicks are back. Deadass, they're back. A return to the tough, gritty, resilient style that made the teams of the past so dominant has allowed Saba Julius Randle and RJ Barrett and the Knicks an opportunity to compete for homecourt advantage in the 2021 playoffs. Facts.
CITIZEN OF THE World
Congolese native Yannick Nzosa played for professional teams in Italy and Spain before he turned 17. Now that his name is moving up the 2022 pre-draft boards, the former soccer player has one thing front and center in his mindâsucceeding for his family back home.
STRONG Island
Mental fortitude and physical toughness are what's helped Long Island's Arella Guirantes make it all the way to the W.
KICK IN THE Door
The WNBA, now in its 25th season, is the longest-running women's sports league ever. SLAM sat down with four of the most influential players of all time Diana Taurasi, Nneka Ogwumike, Skylar Diggins-Smith and Sue Bird to discuss their part in making the League the force it is today.
Can't YOU SEE
It ain't hard to tell that supernatural vision has established Nuggets star Nikola Jokic as a clear candidate for the 2021 MVP Award.
