In a league obsessed with rankings, comparisons, and endless debates about who stands where in basketball’s pantheon of greatness, Denver Nuggets head coach David Adelman has taken a refreshingly different stance when it comes to his superstar center Nikola Jokic. As the Serbian sensation continues to rewrite the record books and challenge everything we thought we knew about basketball excellence, Adelman refuses to play the comparison game that dominates sports media discussions.
His message is crystal clear: Nikola Jokic is not the next anyone. He is the first and only Nikola Jokic, a basketball unicorn whose unprecedented combination of size, skill, and basketball IQ has created an entirely new category of NBA greatness. In an era where every rising star gets labeled as the next Jordan, the next Magic, or the next Bird, Adelman’s perspective offers a profound appreciation for what makes true greatness genuinely unique.
The Art of Individual Excellence
After the Nuggets’ latest victory against the Indiana Pacers, Adelman addressed the inevitable questions about where Jokic ranks among basketball’s all time greats. His response revealed the wisdom of a coach who understands that greatness cannot be measured by simple comparisons. Rather than engaging in the typical coach speak about his player’s abilities, Adelman offered something deeper and more meaningful.
“I think the special thing about Nikola is I hate comparing him to anybody,” Adelman explained with the conviction of someone who has watched basketball excellence up close for years. “Because he’s the first of him, just like there was a first Wilt, a first Jordan, guys of my generation, Kobe, and all these guys, Shaq. They’re individual to themselves, and comparing them to other people is fun, and it’s for daytime TV, but it’s not reality.”
This perspective cuts through the noise of endless basketball debates and highlights something profound about athletic greatness. Each legendary player brought something unique to the game, something that had never been seen before and could never be perfectly replicated. Jokic represents the latest evolution in that tradition of basketball innovation.
Breaking Down the Numbers That Defy Logic
To understand why Adelman feels so strongly about Jokic’s uniqueness, one needs only to examine what the Nuggets center is accomplishing on the court. Through 20 games this season, Jokic is averaging 28.7 points, 12.6 rebounds, and 11.3 assists per game. These numbers alone would be impressive for any player, but the context makes them absolutely extraordinary.
No player in NBA history has ever averaged those statistical benchmarks across an entire season. The combination of elite scoring, dominant rebounding, and transcendent playmaking represents a basketball skill set that simply did not exist before Jokic arrived in Denver. His efficiency numbers make the achievement even more remarkable, as he’s shooting 61.6 percent from the field while connecting on a career best 43.0 percent of his three point attempts.
These statistics tell the story of a player who has fundamentally changed what we expect from the center position. Traditional big men were expected to score in the paint and grab rebounds. Modern centers were asked to stretch the floor and protect the rim. Jokic does all of that while also serving as his team’s primary playmaker, a role typically reserved for point guards.
The Evolution of Basketball Greatness
Adelman’s refusal to compare Jokic to other players reflects a deeper understanding of how basketball greatness evolves. When Wilt Chamberlain dominated the 1960s, his combination of size and athleticism was unprecedented. Michael Jordan’s competitive fire and clutch gene redefined what it meant to be a superstar. Magic Johnson showed that a 6’9″ player could revolutionize the point guard position.
Each of these legends brought something completely new to the game, expanding the boundaries of what was possible on a basketball court. They were not better or worse versions of previous players; they were entirely original forces that changed how the game was played and understood.
Jokic fits perfectly into this tradition of basketball innovation. His ability to see the entire court from the center position, combined with his soft shooting touch and incredible basketball IQ, represents a completely new archetype. He has shown that a center can be the primary facilitator for an entire offense while still dominating in traditional big man categories.
The Philosophy Behind Coaching Greatness
Adelman’s approach to discussing Jokic reveals important insights about how to coach and develop exceptional talent. Rather than trying to fit his star player into predetermined molds or compare him to past greats, Adelman focuses on maximizing Jokic’s unique abilities. This philosophy allows Jokic to continue pushing boundaries rather than conforming to expectations based on what other players have done.
The coach’s perspective also demonstrates his understanding of what makes the Denver Nuggets special as a team. When your best player is truly one of a kind, you build around that uniqueness rather than trying to force him into conventional roles. The Nuggets have embraced Jokic’s unconventional skill set and built an entire system that maximizes his impact on winning.
This approach has paid dividends for Denver. The team’s success over the past few seasons, including their 2023 NBA championship, can be directly attributed to their willingness to let Jokic be exactly who he is rather than who they thought he should be. Adelman’s coaching philosophy extends this concept, recognizing that true greatness cannot be replicated or compared because it is inherently original.
The MVP Conversation and Historical Context
As the NBA season progresses, Jokic finds himself once again in the thick of the Most Valuable Player conversation. His statistical dominance and the Nuggets’ team success make him a legitimate candidate for what would be his fourth MVP award, a achievement that would place him among the most decorated players in league history.
Yet even the MVP discussion highlights why Adelman’s perspective on comparisons is so valuable. Jokic’s case for MVP is not based on being like previous winners; it is based on his completely unique contribution to basketball success. His combination of individual excellence and team impact creates a compelling argument that stands on its own merits.
The historical significance of Jokic’s career continues to grow with each outstanding performance. His ability to impact winning while posting unprecedented statistical achievements sets him apart from conventional basketball wisdom about what great players should look like or how they should play.
The Entertainment Value of Unique Excellence
Adelman touched on another important aspect of Jokic’s greatness when he mentioned that comparisons might be fun for daytime television but do not reflect reality. The entertainment value of Jokic comes not from how he compares to other players, but from the sheer novelty and excellence of what he does on the basketball court.
Watching Jokic play is like witnessing magic happen in real time. His ability to thread passes through impossible spaces, hit shots from angles that should not work, and anticipate plays before they develop creates a viewing experience unlike anything else in basketball. This entertainment value stems from his originality, not from his similarity to past greats.
The Nuggets organization and their fans have embraced this uniqueness, celebrating Jokic for exactly who he is rather than trying to force him into historical comparisons. This appreciation for originality has created a special relationship between player, team, and city that reflects the beauty of individual excellence.
Looking Forward to Continued Excellence
As the season progresses and Jokic continues to post historically great performances, the temptation to make comparisons will only intensify. Media members, fans, and analysts will continue trying to place him within historical context by measuring him against past legends.
However, Adelman’s perspective offers a more meaningful way to appreciate what we are witnessing. Instead of asking where Jokic ranks among all time greats, perhaps we should simply marvel at the fact that we are watching something completely new and unprecedented in basketball history.
The beauty of sport lies in its unpredictability and its ability to surprise us with new forms of excellence. Jokic represents exactly this type of surprise, a player whose abilities were not anticipated by conventional basketball wisdom but whose impact on winning cannot be denied.
Conclusion
David Adelman’s refusal to compare Nikola Jokic to other basketball legends reflects a profound understanding of what makes true greatness special. In a sports culture obsessed with rankings and historical debates, his perspective offers a refreshing appreciation for individual excellence and originality.
Jokic’s unprecedented statistical achievements this season serve as evidence that we are witnessing something truly unique in basketball history. His combination of scoring, rebounding, and playmaking from the center position has created an entirely new template for NBA excellence, one that cannot be adequately captured through comparisons to past players.
As fans and observers of the game, perhaps we should follow Adelman’s lead and resist the urge to define Jokic through the lens of previous greatness. Instead, we can appreciate him for exactly what he is: the first and only Nikola Jokic, a basketball genius whose impact on the game will be felt for generations to come.
The beauty of watching Jokic play lies not in how he compares to Jordan, Magic, or Bird, but in the simple fact that he has shown us possibilities we never knew existed in basketball. That kind of originality deserves to be celebrated on its own terms, without the need for historical comparisons or rankings. In the end, being the first of something is far more impressive than being the next version of someone else.
