"WE VIEW HIM A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT" - REGGIE MILLER ON HOW CLOSE NIKOLA JOKIC IS TO BECOMING AN ALL-TIME GREAT

Denver Nuggets big man Nikola Jokic arguably has enjoyed as much success as any player in the league over the past half-decade. Since the 2018-19 season, Jokic has been selected to six All-Star games and five All-NBA teams and won two MVPs.

Additionally, he led the Nuggets to the 2023 NBA title, which marked the first championship in franchise history.

Miller on Jokic

Despite all that the Serbian has accomplished during his pro career, Reggie Miller believes that he still needs to do more to be perceived as one of the greatest players in NBA history.

"I think if he wins his third MVP in four years, obviously if he wins a championship, he'll probably win Finals MVP. He's in a different door of the Hall of Fame and the greatest players and mentioning in that way, because we view him a little bit different. In terms of centers, he's on the shortlist," Miller said on The Dan Patrick Show.

"You've got Wilt [Chamberlain], Shaq (Shaquille O'Neal), Kareem [Abdul-Jabbar], Hakeem [Olajuwon], and then, I mean, you can put Moses Malone maybe in there. But he's gonna be in a very short list if he can win another title, Finals MVP, and obviously a regular-season MVP. This'll be three in four years," the Indiana Pacers legend added. 

The 2024 MVP?

While the winner of the 2023-24 MVP award has yet to be announced, Jokic is one of the three finalists for the award, along with Luka Doncic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

According to an article from the Miami Herald that was last updated earlier this month, Jokic is the betting favorite to win the award at a -150.

During the regular season, the Serbian big man averaged 26.4 points, 12.4 rebounds, and 9.0 assists per game across 79 games played with the Nuggets and guided Denver to a 57-25 record, which was tied with the Oklahoma City Thunder for the best record of any team in the Western Conference.

Nuggets fans will have to wait until Wednesday to find out if Jokic will win his third MVP award in four years, but they should feel optimistic about his chances of taking home the award. 

If that happens, Nikola will become only the ninth player in NBA history with three or more regular-season MVPs. He'll also be one step closer to becoming an all-time great, even though many already think he belongs in that company.

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2024-05-07T08:29:07Z dg43tfdfdgfd