Nikola Jokic has certainly established himself as one of the best to ever play basketball. However, former Denver Nuggets head coach George Karl is convinced the Joker has a case for the GOAT title.
Karl shared as much in his latest social media post a day after witnessing Jokic lead the Nuggets to a massive Game 1 win over the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Playoffs. The 72-year-old, one-time Coach of the Year shared that Jokic might just be the “best player” he has ever seen, even despite living at a time when the likes of Michael Jordan, Julius Erving, Tim Duncan, Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James were at their peaks and dominating the league.
“I’ve been around hoops for 50 years and I’ve seen a lot of incredible players, including Connie, Julius, Michael, Tim, Shaq, KAJ, Kobe and LBJ. But, at this point, I’m thinking Jokic may be the best player I’ve ever seen play basketball,” Karl wrote.
There is no denying that Jokic is already an all-time great. He is a two-time MVP and is well on his way to winning his third one. Some could even argue he should have won the award in the 2022-23 season and should have been on his way to a fourth straight MVP this campaign.
Not to mention that Jokic is already an NBA Champion, with a legitimate chance to add another Larry O’Brien silverware to his trophy room. With that being said, Karl’s GOAT argument for Jokic may have some merits.
But at the end of the day, the Joker has yet to really show he can win multiple championships and maintain his dominance for years. Until he does so, it might be hard for many to put him in that conversation.
NBA fans react to George Karl’s Nikola Jokic GOAT take
Sure enough, plenty of NBA fans took issue with George Karl’s take about Nikola Jokic. While no one is doubting the Nuggets star’s greatness, many are not convinced he’s already at that level to be mentioned with the likes of Michael Jordan.
