Nikola Jokic has lived inside the spotlight ever since Denver lifted the 2023 championship trophy, and each season since has only added fuel to a growing conversation. With every triple double and every night where he takes over an entire game with ease, the idea of where he stands among the greatest talents in basketball continues to gain strength. His numbers remain astonishing, and his command of the game looks even sharper this season, which has pushed the discussion into an entirely new level.
A recent remark from a respected voice around the league has pushed that conversation straight into the national spotlight. During a visit on The Zach Lowe Show, former NBA coach Stan Van Gundy brought forward a perspective that has now started to echo throughout the community of players, analysts, and fans. Van Gundy suggested that Jokic might not only be among the top offensive minds the sport has ever produced but possibly the most gifted overall player in the history of the league.
Van Gundy did not hesitate when he shared his thoughts. He stated plainly that Jokic might be the best player the NBA has ever seen. He explained that the evolution of athletes needs to be acknowledged when judging greatness. According to him, the most skilled players in the history of the sport may very well come from the most recent span of seasons. The game has transformed rapidly, and players have adapted with it, which creates a new standard of excellence.
He supported his argument by noting that his view is not meant to diminish legends of past eras. Instead, he pointed to the steady evolution of training, speed, strategy, and overall skill. In his opinion, this progression has raised the natural level of competition. He shared his belief that if he were choosing a single player from any point in time to build around, Jokic would be his first pick.
This is a striking claim, particularly in an era where active fans continue to debate the legacies of names like LeBron James and Michael Jordan. Van Gundy even explained that, for him at this moment, LeBron still holds the title as the best player in the history of the game. Yet he emphasized that players from more recent years have reached new peaks simply because the sport has advanced so much.
Jokic’s play this season makes this argument difficult to ignore. He is averaging close to thirty points a night while hitting over sixty two percent of his shots. He leads the league with more than eleven assists and collects nearly thirteen rebounds each game. These numbers stretch the limits of what has previously been seen from a center. If he maintains this pace over an entire season, it would stand as one of the most impressive statistical years from any player in league history.
The pace at which Jokic processes the game separates him from most of his peers. He reads defensive shifts instantly, threads passes through impossible angles, and scores in a manner that appears routine despite being extraordinary. The Nuggets have flourished behind his leadership, starting the season with strong momentum and showing a sense of unity that Jokic himself continues to credit. He has repeatedly praised the team’s commitment, saying the group is fully locked in.
At thirty one years old, Jokic is posting the finest performance averages of his career. Nothing in his approach suggests he is slowing down. The more he stacks these nights together, the more difficult it becomes for anyone to argue against his place in the highest tier of all time conversations. Van Gundy’s bold statement may have sounded provocative, but with each passing game, the reasoning behind it grows harder to dismiss.
