Analyst Believes Nikola Jokic Could One Day Eclipse Hall Of Fame Laker As Best Big Man Ever

Quite the praise for the newest champion!

The Los Angeles Lakers got to witness the greatness of Nikola Jokic up close and personal in the 2023 playoffs as he averaged about 28 points and 14 rebounds in Denver's four-game sweep. Every match could have gone either way but with LA having played must-win games since the trade deadline, they definitely ran out gas once they ran into the Nuggets.

Jokic was in the midst of one of the more interesting seasons that we've seen in recent history. He finally had a healthy roster around him with the return of Michael Porter Jr. and Jamal Murray and they were easily the most consistent team all season. No opposing squad was able to take them to seven games the entire playoffs and seeing that Jokic is just 28-years-old and his play style will allow him to dominate going into the next decade.

At this point, the conversation now becomes: Where does he rank among the greatest centers to ever play the game? Jokic finally captured his first championship and seeing that the rest of Denver's starting five is in their prime or entering their prime, they will certainly remain contenders. He still has a ways to go if he wants to catch the legacies of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar but the blueprint is there.

However, former NBA player and current analyst Jay Williams believes that Jokic will have quite the argument compared to Abdul-Jabbar when he calls it a career.

"I'm not saying Jokic is better than Kareem Abdul-Jabbar right now, but when his entire body of work is done he's going to be up there with some of the best to ever do it."

(Via Get Up ESPN)

Obviously, the recency bias is very strong with the star center but he has definitely changed the NBA already. By no means did Anthony Davis get cooked by Jokic in the WCF but he was his toughest task in the midst of a dominant defensive playoff run.

All we can here is appreciate the greatness in front of us.