Original subtitles

Nikola Jokic can't jump over a puddle of water, and yet he's the best player in the NBA. The Joker

is the best passing big man in basketball history, he bends the reality of what's possible for a

center, and is the lowest drafted player to ever become the NBA MVP. This is the story of how the

pudgy kid from Serbia became an NBA champion and one of the most unusual superstars in NBA history.

Nikola was born in Sambor, Serbia, to a poor family that housed six people in a cramped

two-bedroom apartment. But what they lacked in resources, they made up for with a love for

basketball. Nikola's two older brothers were both talented players, and their father loved

basketball more than anything. But Nikola wasn't like them. He was a shy, introverted 10-year-old,

short and chubby, and PE was his least favorite class in school. When his dad told him that he

signed him up for his first basketball practice, Nikola cried and didn't want to go. He began

playing the point guard position, and his coaches quickly realized that this chubby kid was pretty

talented. Despite being the slowest kid in every game, Jokic could really play, and he soon fell

in love with the game. However, when he was 14 years old, Jokic quit basketball. It wasn't that

he didn't enjoy the game, but because he found something he cared for more than basketball.

Horses. Nikola would come to the local stables every day after school to clean and feed the

noble creatures. However, his father made him return to basketball, saying that he might be

able to buy his own stable someday. Jokic played really well in the youth ranks, and this caught

the eye of the most influential basketball manager in Europe, Mishko Raznadovic. Mishko

owned his own club called Mega, which he used as a training ground to develop talent, only to sell

them later. Raznadovic found out about Jokic through the local newspaper, and saw that he

was averaging 20 points and 20 rebounds per game. But his first thought was that Jokic was just more

athletic than everybody at that level, and that he was dominating because of his physical traits.

So, when he found out that Jokic was not physically dominant, and was actually the least

athletic player on the floor, the manager got fired up and demanded that this kid get signed

immediately. Somehow, nobody really paid attention on this guy. This is the first

and last player in the 27 years old history of the agency that will sign him without anybody

seeing him. Without ever seeing him play, Raznadovic signed Jokic on the spot, something he hasn't done

before or after. But this proved to be the best decision they both ever made. When he moved to

Mega, Jokic started playing for their junior team, winning the MVP of the Serbian Youth League,

making the first-team All-Euro League team for juniors, and a silver medal at the Under-19

World Championship. But despite being really good, there was a problem. Nikola was too heavy to play

professional basketball. Jokic couldn't do a single push-up, and he would get exhausted after

the first quarter. At the age of 17, he appeared in five games of the first Serbian League,

and averaged two points and two rebounds in ten minutes per game. Mega's coaches gave him a

nutrition plan, and they were killing him in practice to improve his conditioning, but Jokic

barely shed any weight. They knew something wasn't right, and soon they discovered his kryptonite.

Nikola was devouring a Serbian pasty called Burek, like there was no tomorrow. Burek is very high in

calories, and to make things worse, Jokic would wash it down with up to three liters of Coca-Cola

every day. But what Jokic really needed was something healthy and something smart, and that's

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The transition from junior to senior basketball is hard for every teenager,

but luckily for Nikola, it coincided with the return of his older brother Nemanja from America.

Nemanja Jokic played NCAA basketball for Detroit Mercy, and he could have been a

professional if he didn't hang out with Darko Milicic. Darko was drafted second overall by the

Pistons in the 2003 draft, but he was more famous for his partying and bad behavior than for what

he did on the basketball court. Nemanja experienced firsthand what can happen if a

basketball player doesn't take basketball seriously. Realizing that his younger brother possessed

tremendous talent, he influenced him to stop eating junk food and chugging coke and not to

make the same mistakes as Darko and himself. However, a key role in the development of

Nikola's career was Mega's head coach, Dejan Milojevic. Milojevic realized very early that

Jokic possessed court vision like no other player he had ever seen, so he gave Nikola

complete freedom on the court. In 2023, it became somewhat normal for seven-footers to

bring the ball up the court like a point guard, but in 2013, this was unheard of. Jokic had the

luxury to handle the ball and not care about making mistakes, something that American centers his age

could only dream of. Jokic showed not only an exceptional talent in passing, footwork,

and ball handling, but also an approach to the game that is rarely seen in a 19-year-old.

Boyishly playful, without any concern in the world, almost nonchalantly dishing out no-look

passes like Magic Johnson. In the 2013-14 season, the coach's effort to improve his conditioning

finally gave results. Jokic appeared in 38 games, averaging 11 points, six rebounds,

and three assists in 25 minutes on the court. After that, Raznitovich put his name in the

2014 NBA draft. But despite Jokic's early brilliance, NBA GMs were not overly excited

about an unathletic and chubby 18-year-old from Europe. Ultimately, Jokic fell all the way to the

second round and 41st overall pick when he was finally selected by the Denver Nuggets.

And when his name was called, the NBA famously played a Taco Bell commercial during the pick,

because who really cares about the 41st pick? But on the other side of the Atlantic,

Jokic didn't care either. By the time his name was called, it was about 5 a.m. in Serbia,

and Jokic was sound asleep. While most people would be up all night trying to find out which

NBA club they'd end up playing for, zero ducks were given by Jokic. And unlike most drafted

players, Jokic wasn't too eager to come to the NBA right away and decided to stay one more year

in Serbia. Ultimately, his decision proved to be the right one. Despite Mega finishing 10th in the

Adriatic League in the 2015 season, Jokic became the league MVP, averaging 16 points, a league

leading 9.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game. After that, it was time for Jokic to take his

talents to America. But when he came over to play in the summer league, Jokic did not excel,

averaging 8 points and 6 rebounds in 5 games. The reason was immediately apparent to Denver coaches.

No matter how much weight he lost at Mega, he was still not in great shape. So, between the summer

league and the start of the season, Jokic lost 25 pounds in a few months. But there still was one

problem for him to showcase his ability. His name was Jusuf Nurkic. Nurkic was a great friend to

Nikola, but on the court they were competitors, depriving each other of much needed playing time.

Coach Malone tried to play both of them on the floor at the same time, but that was awful,

and there simply wasn't room for both of them. After Jokic averaged 10 points,

7 rebounds and 2.5 assists as a rookie and made the all-rookie first team,

he started his sophomore season even better. And then Denver executives decided to keep the

41st pick over the 16th pick and traded Nurkic, as crazy as it seemed at the time. But they were not

wrong. In 2017, Jokic improved his numbers to 17 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists per game,

while also finishing top four in the league in true shooting efficiency. In 2018,

he was even better, finishing the year averaging 18, 11 and 6, becoming the most versatile offensive

center in the NBA. Because he spent part of his basketball youth as a point guard,

Jokic was not afraid to dribble the ball even against much faster players, knowing that he

had the big body and technique to protect the ball while running through the paint.

Jokic rarely turned the ball over, despite making risky passes that would have resulted

in turnovers with most other centers. But unlike Draymond Green, who was a good passer for a big

man, Jokic is also dangerous as a scorer. Even though he's probably the least vertical player

in the NBA, Nikola still kills you with polished footwork, a soft touch, and a series of head

feints that drive defenders crazy. His lethal arsenal on the low block and passing masterclass

becomes even more dangerous when you factor in his fantastic face-up game,

where he becomes the most unpredictable player in the NBA. If he's facing the basket at the top of

the key, there is always a danger that he'll sink a mid-range shot or a floater right in the opponent's

face. If the defender gets close to him, Jokic can get past either backing him down or facing up,

and if everything else fails, he'll do his patented Sombor Shuffle. Like all great players,

Nikola developed a trademark move. And just like Jokic himself, it's extremely weird looking and

unorthodox. The Sombor Shuffle is a half step back, half fade away that looks like a crooked

and clumsy version of Dirk Nowitzki's legendary one-legged shot. But despite the aesthetics,

it's extremely effective.

And another thing that flies under the radar with Jokic is how strong he is. When someone has

muscles, he looks like a strong man. That can be very deceiving. The strength is in the hips,

torso, and legs. Nikola is physically stronger than most centers. Others may look stronger,

but they are not, Jokic's athletic coach. However, despite Nikola's brilliance that

led the Nuggets to a top five offensive team in the NBA, their defense was in the bottom five,

and a lot of the blame was on Jokic. His lack of athleticism was even more pronounced by poor

stamina, which made him one of the worst defensive centers in the NBA. And despite the Nuggets

improving each year and winning 46 games in 2018, they missed the playoffs by one game,

losing the deciding game of the season against the Timberwolves. But that would all change very

soon. In the 2019 season, Jokic continued the upward trajectory, finishing the year with 20

points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists per game. He made his first All-Star team and first team

All-NBA, and the Nuggets finished second in the West, making the playoffs after six seasons

without an appearance. Denver won their first round matchup with the Spurs, but they would lose

in game seven against the Blazers in the second round, despite the Joker averaging a near triple

double. In 2020, Jokic made the All-NBA second team, but the Nuggets regressed, and nobody gave

them much chance in the playoffs. And in the NBA bubble, things didn't start well, as Denver was

losing 3-1 against Utah in the first round of the playoffs. But largely thanks to Jamal Murray,

who got the better of Donovan Mitchell in an offensive duel for the ages, the Nuggets won

the series in seven. In the second round against the Clippers, they were in the same hole, again

falling behind 3-1 in the series. Then, against all odds, they did it again, made another miraculous

comeback, and won another game seven. Only 11 different teams in NBA history came back after

being down 3-1, and the Nuggets did it twice in the same playoffs. However, in the conference

finals, the Lakers were too strong, and the Nuggets lost in five games. When the next season

started, we noticed a significant change in the Joker's appearance. Usually after the season,

he'd relax at home, eat tasty Serbian food, and drink Yalan beer. But this time, he came back after

the summer break noticeably slimmer, and didn't have to spend the first two months of the season

on a diet just to get into basketball shape. I just wanted to train something, you know. I wanted

to see, can I do it? Can I really train my body? And I lost a lot of pounds, and I feel much better,

you know. Because of this, we've seen his game rise from an all-star to the superstar level,

and his numbers skyrocketed. Jokic averaged 26, 11, and 8 for the 2021 season, shooting extremely

efficiently from everywhere on the court. But most people already knew that he was an offensive

wizard. Where Jokic made the biggest leap was his defense. He still wasn't a vertical rim protector

like Rudy Gobert, far from it. But what he couldn't give the Nuggets with athleticism,

he made up for in hustle. His smart positioning and long arms made him a plus defender when

protecting the paint, and the Nuggets were four points better defensively with Jokic on the court.

Because of his newfound conditioning, Jokic was second among all centers in steals,

he was fourth in the entire NBA in deflections, and 12th in contested two-point shots. Jokic led

the NBA in all the advanced offensive ratings, and because of his improved defense, he deservedly won

an MVP award. But because Jamal Murray tore his ACL, Denver got swept in the second round of the

playoffs. In 2022, the Nuggets didn't have Murray for the season, and they also lost Michael Porter

Jr. after just nine games. Without two of their three best players, Jokic almost single-handedly

led the team to 48 wins and a playoff berth, with stats that were even better than the previous

season. Nikola became the first player in NBA history with 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, and

500 assists in one season, which secured him a second consecutive MVP award. His backdoor passes,

no-look dimes, and touch-and-go volleyball assists became an art form, and when you're talking about

the beauty of the assist, there is nobody in the NBA who does it better than Big Honey.

And while many people believed he couldn't improve after that, Jokic surprised the world

again. For much of the 2023 season, he averaged a triple-double, eventually finishing just 12

assists shy of a triple-double season average. His conditioning is something that nobody can

question anymore, as Jokic is regularly outrunning most centers down the floor, usually handling the

ball and setting up teammates in transition. But what went under the radar is how efficient

Jokic was, and that he had the most efficient shooting season in NBA history. There have been

only five players in NBA history with a true shooting percentage over 70% for the season.

And while Jokic's 2023 season is fifth on that list, everybody who is above him on that list

is a center whose offensive diet largely consists of dunks, like Rudy Gobert,

Mitchell Robinson, and Tyson Chandler. In 2023, Jokic only had 23 dunks, and his scoring output

was mainly floaters, jump hooks, and mid-range shots. Where Jokic is by far the best in the

league is in shots between 3 and 10 feet to the basket, which he's hitting with an insane 65%

efficiency. While Joel Embiid won the MVP over Jokic, many would argue that it's because of

voter fatigue, as Nicola once again led the league in almost all advanced metrics. An unprecedented

hype around the 2023 MVP race saw many people lobbying for Embiid to get the award, mainly

Kendrick Perkins, who accused Jokic of stat-patting, along with some very stupid racist remarks,

which is better not to get into here. But what's maybe even more impressive than

Jokic's triple doubles is that he doesn't care about the individual awards, he's all about the

team's success. When the reporters asked him about becoming the first player since Larry Bird,

who could win three consecutive MVP awards, Jokic nonchalantly responded,

Larry can keep the record, I don't care. I bet Bird doesn't even know where his MVP trophies are.

While Embiid publicly demanded to win the award, Jokic kept his mouth shut and continued praising

his teammates. You'll never hear Nicola talk about his accomplishments, and since Tim Duncan,

there hasn't been a more humble and low-key superstar. But when the playoff started,

Jokic showed everyone who the real MVP was. While the Sixers lost in the second round

for the fifth time in the last six years, with Embiid's numbers dropping across the board,

the Joker dominated. And not only did he dominate, Nicola had one of the best playoff runs in NBA

history. In the second round against the betting favorite Phoenix Suns, Jokic averaged a triple

double for the series, and Denver advanced in six games. In the conference finals, the Nuggets swept

LeBron James and the Lakers, with Jokic averaging another triple double. And then in the finals

against Miami, the Joker averaged 30, 14, and 7, leading the Nuggets to their first NBA title

and winning the Bill Russell Finals MVP trophy, becoming the lowest drafted player ever to win

the award. With 30 points, 13.5 rebounds, and 9.5 assists per game in the playoffs,

Nicola became the first player in NBA playoff history to lead all players in total points,

rebounds, and assists. The Joker also set the record for the most triple doubles in a single

postseason with 10, while also shooting an insanely efficient 55% from the field,

46% for three, and 80% from the free throw line. Whatever his team needed, Jokic provided,

making correct decisions on nearly every possession and scoring clutch baskets when

the game was on the line. In historic terms, Jokic's 2023 playoff run ranks in the top 10

all time in almost every advanced metric, such as offensive wind shares, wind shares,

box plus minus, and value over replacement player. In terms of points created for his team with

scoring and passing, Jokic directly contributed to 55 points per game, which is the best playoff

mark ever. His numbers are like someone combined Prime Shack's scoring and rebounding,

Steph's shooting, and Magic's passing, all in one. If we look at Joker's playoff averages for

his entire career, he's the only player who's in the top 10 in scoring and top 20 in assists and

rebounds. Another crazy statistic is that Jokic is shooting 41% for three in the playoffs,

which is a better mark than Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Ray Allen. He's also fifth all time

in playoff rebounding percentage, and second all time in box plus minus, behind only Michael

Jordan. But when it comes to player efficiency rating in the playoffs, Jokic sits at the top,

in front of Jordan and LeBron. If you didn't know, now you know. Jokic is among the top five best

offensive players ever, and the things that used to be his weakness, stamina, and defense,

have now only become Nicholas' strengths. Out of the 16 playoff games, the Nuggets had the

third best defensive rating. In four out of five games in the finals, they held Miami to under 100

points. While most athletic bigs try to block shots, Jokic bothers and baits shots with his

long arms while never jumping in the air. Because of this tactic, he never gives up defensive rebounds

and is in a perfect position to run the fast break. And when you combine his IQ with active

hands and nimble feet, you get an excellent defender. In the 2023 playoffs, opponents involved

Jokic in over 40 pick and rolls per game, which was eight more than any other player. It was obvious

that opponents tried to attack him and make him work on defense. But when Jokic defended pick and

rolls, it produced just 102 points per 100 possessions. That's a better mark than Jaren

Jackson, Anthony Davis, and Draymond Green, and they are the best defensive big men in the NBA.

Jokic has signed two maximum deals so far, and he's likely going to sign the third one,

which will make him the highest-paid player in NBA history. But that doesn't matter to him

whatsoever. Jokic married his high school sweetheart, and apart from his family,

all he cares about is his horses. His father's prophecy came true, and Nikola was able to buy

his own stable, and he even races when he's in Serbia, which makes him happier than any triple

double or an MVP award. Not bad for a chubby kid that used to drink three liters of Coke a day

and couldn't do a single push-up.