Former NBA Player Dennis Rodman Puts Nikola Jokic Above Larry Bird On The List Of Greats

Dennis Rodman says Nikola Jokic is “way better” than Larry Bird

When Dennis Rodman played in the NBA, he was known for his colorful personality and behavior.

Even though he’s more mature now, he still gives head-scratching takes.

In a recent interview on DJ Vlad’s VladTV, he seemed to take a slight jab at NBA legend Larry Bird.

“I’ll put it this way; if Larry Bird played in this era, I think he’d be in Europe. You’ll be somewhere over there,” Rodman said. “His game was fit for Boston at that time, in the 80s and stuff like that. So, today’s world, hell no. I’m not downplaying him because he was a great player at that time, just like I was. But I’m saying no, there’s no way. No way.”

Where did all this come from? On Jun. 22, another interview on VladTV went viral of former NBA player Gilbert Arenas saying a prime Bird would beat superstar LeBron James in a 1-on-1 matchup.

But when we didn’t think Rodman’s take could get hotter, it did.

“I think the kid from Denver is way better than him,” Rodman said.

The player he is referring to is Denver Nuggets’ center Nikola Jokic.

Jokic was always a great player but he really started to get recognition from the NBA world after the Nuggets defeated the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals. After averaging 30 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists, he was named Finals MVP. He also became the first player in NBA history to lead the playoffs in points, rebounds, and assists.

Once the playoffs ended, many NBA pundits went as far as putting him in the conversation for greatest center of all-time. But to say he’s better than Bird is a bit of a stretch.

Cory Nelson is a contributor to Inside The Heat. He attended Northern Virginia Community College. He can be reached at corymckenzienelson@hotmail.com or follow him on Twitter @CKenzyNelson. You can also check out his personal blog HERE.