The least used starter of Team LeBron, victorious on a decisive shot by its eponymous leader, Nikola Jokic did not flinch. The reigning MVP had 21 minutes for 10 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists, a night almost like any other for the Serbian triple-double machine.
A ray of Serbian sunshine
On the bench at the end of the match, he admitted to having vibrated and a little stressed before the winning basket. But, in the stands, another legendary interior did not miss a single crumb of Nikola Jokic’s performance.
“I just told him how proud I was of him and how happy I was for him that he was able to create this life, and make our universe a better place,” explains the former Blazers in the Denver Post. “The style, grace, elegance, dignity and class he brings every day is just a refreshing ray of sunshine. “
Commentator for college basketball, Bill Walton also keeps a close eye on the Big League. With a particular affection for pivots, and even more so for a pivot as creative as Nikola Jokic.
“I was very happy to be able to go say hello to him because I’m a huge fan, and I’m really grateful for the way he plays because he represents the best of the human spirit in terms of involvement, opportunity , sacrifice for the team, discipline. He is really awesome. He is fantastic. “
A creative genius
Full of praise for one of his worthy successors, Bill Walton also praised his vision of the game, unrivaled because of his combination of size and technical qualities. Not to mention his European training, which gives him a definite advantage over his American counterparts.
“He has such an imagination, he’s a creative genius. He sees things that others do not see. His sense of timing and his technical qualities at his post, his balance and all those things that I love in life, he is the representation of it. “
Pivot passer in his time, Bill Walton is therefore a fan of Nikola Jokic who, like Dirk Nowitzki before him, breaks the clichés about European players. And about the role of interiors.
“It’s a real privilege for me to see him play basketball. It’s Colorado. He is a pioneer. He is an innovator. It creates a new path for the future. He’s not indoors, he’s just a basketball player, who happens to have a great body. He is fantastic. He has got everything. “
| Nikola Jokic | Percentage | Bounces | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | GM | Minimum | Shots | 3 points | LF | Off | Def | Early | pd | party | Int | bp | CT | Points |
| 2015-16 | DEN | 80 | 22 | 51.2 | 33.3 | 81.1 | 2.3 | 4.7 | 7.0 | 2.4 | 2.6 | 1.0 | 1.3 | 0.6 | 10.0 |
| 2016-17 | DEN | 73 | 28 | 57.8 | 32.4 | 82.5 | 2.9 | 6.9 | 9.8 | 4.9 | 2.9 | 0.8 | 2.3 | 0.8 | 16.7 |
| 2017-18 | DEN | 75 | 33 | 49.9 | 39.6 | 85.0 | 2.6 | 8.1 | 10.7 | 6.1 | 2.8 | 1.2 | 2.8 | 0.8 | 18.5 |
| 2018-19 | DEN | 80 | 31 | 51.1 | 30.7 | 82.1 | 2.9 | 8.0 | 10.8 | 7.3 | 2.9 | 1.4 | 3.1 | 0.7 | 20.1 |
| 2019-20 | DEN | 73 | 32 | 52.8 | 31.4 | 81.7 | 2.3 | 7.5 | 9.7 | 7.0 | 3.0 | 1.2 | 3.1 | 0.6 | 20.0 |
| 2020-21 ★ | DEN | 72 | 35 | 56.6 | 38.8 | 86.8 | 2.9 | 8.0 | 10.8 | 8.3 | 2.7 | 1.3 | 3.1 | 0.7 | 26.4 |
| 2021-22 | DEN | 52 | 33 | 57.0 | 37.2 | 80.8 | 2.9 | 11.0 | 13.8 | 7.9 | 2.5 | 1.4 | 3.8 | 0.7 | 26.0 |
| Total | 505 | 30 | 53.8 | 35.1 | 83.1 | 2.6 | 7.6 | 10.2 | 6.2 | 2.8 | 1.2 | 2.7 | 0.7 | 19.2 | |
