Charles Barkley Praises Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo Amid ‘BS’ in the NBA

The Basketball Hall of Famer and TNT analyst says it is refreshing to watch the Nuggets’ star play in today’s league.

There is no shortage of NBA franchises striving to build super teams, players seeking max-level contracts or sitting out games due to load management.

Those issues make up the inner fabric of today’s league. However, the Nuggets claimed their first NBA title in franchise history last season behind the stellar play of star Nikola Jokić, a player who does not talk much and does whatever Denver needs to win a game.

On a recent episode of The Bill Simmons Podcast, Charles Barkley felt that watching Jokić’s consistent production on the court coupled with his personality were refreshing on the road to Denver winning a NBA championship.

“With all the BS that goes on in the NBA, what the Nuggets and the Joker [Nikola Jokić] accomplished just made me feel good. No super team, no drama,” Barkley said. "He's [Jokić] content if he has to score 30 or 20, get 17 rebounds or 12 rebounds, or get 12 assists or 15 assists. … If you don’t appreciate that, you don’t know anything about basketball. That’s brilliance right there. … Joker and Giannis [Antetokounmpo], they make me feel good about my sport.”

Like Jokić, Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo moved in a similar manner in 2021, when he helped Milwaukee win an NBA title. While the two-time NBA MVP has recently made headlines about his future in Milwaukee, Barkley believes players like Antetokounmpo and Jokić are different from some of the more outspoken stars in the league.

“He [Jokić] reminds me of Tim Duncan,” Barkley said. “[Duncan] was the most no drama great player I ever watched in my career.”