Denver selected Serbia’s Nikola Jokic 41st overall in the 2014 draft. Since then, the Nuggets have developed into championship contenders, with Jokic becoming the face of the franchise.
A dominant 6ft 11in centre, the 28-year-old was named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player in 2021 and 2022, and coach Malone says Jokic takes more joy from creating for team-mates than scoring himself.
“He is literally a wizard on the court,” Denver forward Zeke Nnaji told the BBC. “He sees everything, he has eyes in the back of his head.
“His IQ is off the charts, and it’s great because he goes against guys who are stronger, more athletic, and he absolutely torches them.
“He just has incredible patience that no-one can rush him,” Nnaji added. “If you try to double-team him, he knows where everyone is and makes the right pass.
“He doesn’t have to look at you, he’ll pass it to you right where you need it, so he is truly incredible to watch.”
Denver have a 12-3 record in this year’s play-offs and won both games with Miami in the regular season. Jokic has averaged a triple-double across those games, winning MVP for the Western Conference Finals as Denver swept the Los Angeles Lakers 4-0.
