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There are now some legitimate arguments to be made that Nikola Jokic is already one of the greatest players in NBA history.
A two-time MVP – who probably should have won a third straight this past season – the 28-year-old big man just led the Denver Nuggets to their first-ever NBA title.
Of course, Jokic doesn't physically look like a dominant NBA player, and even those around the league didn't expect a guy of his stature to become one of the game's best ever, let alone an everyday starter.
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New York Knicks forward Julius Randle (30) looks to drive past Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic. (Wendell Cruz/USA TODAY Sports)
New York Knicks' two-time All-Star Julius Randle was in the 2014 NBA Draft along with Jokic – Randle was the seventh overall pick out of Kentucky, while Jokic wasn't picked until 41.
Randle, admittedly, wrote off the lanky Jokic.
"Nobody knew who he was," Randle recently said on Paul George's podcast. "That wasn't even a thought."
But Randle learned quickly to not judge a book by its cover.
"I remember, like, my second year, and we had played against him, and I’m just like – because he was killing – I’m like, ‘Man, why does this dude kill it, bro? Slow, fat, he ain’t nice like that, right? It’s in my head, bro.’ He … played here and had like 25 [points]," Randle said. "And I'm like, ‘Man, how the hell did this happen, bro?’"
Nikola Jokic speaks during the Denver Nuggets' victory parade and rally after winning the NBA Championship at Civic Center Park on June 15, 2023, in Denver. (Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
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In his second season, Jokic was a quality big man, averaging 16.7 points and 9.8 rebounds per game, starting 59 of his 73 games played in the 2016-2017 season. But even though Randle – and the rest of the world – had a sneak peek, he couldn't predict what Jokic has become.
Jokic was 0.2 assists per game shy of averaging a triple-double this past season (24.5 points, 11.8 rebounds, 9.8 assists), all at 6 feet 11 inches tall, which was a sign of things to come in the postseason.
In the playoffs, Jokic was an animal. In 20 playoff games, he dropped a double-double in all but two of them and had one of the best playoff runs ever.
Jokic put up 37 points, 12.3 assists and 12 rebounds per game en route to his NBA Finals MVP.
"It's crazy, bro. You talk about getting better. It's crazy to see him. He's always had that skill … but to really hone in on his skill set and get better the way he did year after year, that's incredible," Randle added.
Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets is awarded the Bill Russell MVP trophy after winning the NBA Finals on June 12, 2023, at Ball Arena in Denver. (Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
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His $264 million deal he signed before the 2022 season is the richest in NBA history.
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