Lakers News: Ex-Player Critiques Media For Underselling Nikola Jokic After LA Sweep
Longtime NBA sharpshooter JJ Redick, now a podcaster and ESPN commentator who's reportedly dipping a toe into the head coaching world, criticized the basketball media landscape at large (including his own network) for what he perceives to be a lack of coverage surrounding Denver Nuggets All-NBA center Nikola Jokic, even after his Nuggets vanquished your Los Angeles Lakers in four straight games during the Western Conference Finals.
"This is just the way that we have sold the NBA. I don't love," Redick said. " After Game 1 of the Nuggets-Lakers series... I would say over half the conversation [on the ESPN shows in which he appeared after the game] was about the Lakers and what they did. Oh by the way, Nikola Jokic had his third straight triple-double that game and had 34 [points], 21 [rebounds] and 14 [assists]. How much did we talk about that? We don't do a good job of selling what the NBA is, which is 30 teams, 450 players, multiple superstars. The fact that people are now being like, 'Oh, I didn't realize Nikola Jokic was good' [is frustrating]. Let's put him on TV more! Let's talk about him more!"
Across 15 playoff games (Denver is 12-3 in those contests) thus far this year, the 27-year-old Jokic is averaging 29.9 points on .538/.474/.784 shooting splits, 13.3 rebounds, 10.3 assists, 1.1 steals and 0.9 blocks a night.
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