NBA Analyst Claims Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic Will Surpass Mavs Legend Dirk Nowitzki
Although the Dallas Mavericks didn’t even make the play-in tournament this season, that hasn’t stopped them from staying in the news.
Whether it’s rumors over Kyrie Irving’s upcoming free agency, speculation regarding what the Mavs do with the No. 10 pick in the NBA Draft, or the national media moaning and groaning over Dallas tanking the last two games of the season, things have certainly remained interesting around here even though there’s been no playoff action.
Thanks to FS1’s Chris Broussard, the Mavs have waves in the news cycle again, as he claimed Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic would surpass Dallas legend Dirk Nowitzki with a Finals win over the Miami Heat.
"If [Nikola Jokic] wins this championship, he's better than Dirk [Nowitzki],” Broussard said. “When Jokic's career is all said and done, he'll be ahead of Kevin Durant [too].”
From a longevity standpoint, Jokic still has a long way to go to catch Nowitzki, but from a major awards standpoint, Broussard might not be completely off base here. At 28 years old, Jokic would have two league MVPs and a championship under his belt if his Nuggets finish off the eighth-seeded Heat in the Finals. Nowitzki finished his 21-year career with one league MVP and one championship.
Albeit, that one glorious championship Nowitzki had — where he mowed through the likes of Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge, Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, James Harden, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and LeBron James —will still remain as one of the greatest individual paths to a title in league history … if not the greatest of all-time.
However, there’s no doubt that Jokic is arguably the best player on the planet right now, and he’s on his way to being one of the very best to play the game. He might not pass up Nowitzki with one title this year, but he’s certainly on his way at his current pace.
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