Nikola Jokic

Nikola Jokic is the greatest passing centre in basketball history and quite possibly the most unique player the sport has ever produced, and the fact that Denver found him with the 41st pick in 2014 is either the greatest scouting triumph or the most damning indictment of 40 other front offices in NBA Draft history. Born on February 19, 1995, in Sombor, Serbia, Jokic has accumulated three MVP awards and a 2023 championship while looking like he would rather be at home eating and watching horse racing than dominating the most athletic league on the planet.

In 2024-25, Jokic averaged 29.6 points per game across 70 games alongside the elite assists and rebounds that make him a triple-double machine, and the truly bewildering thing is that the statistics do not adequately capture what he does. Jokic orchestrates an offence from the centre position the way a conductor leads a symphony — every pass has purpose, every movement creates advantage, and every teammate becomes better simply by sharing the court with him. His basketball IQ and court vision are so advanced that watching him play feels like watching a player from a more evolved future who accidentally time-travelled into the present.

For Australian fans, Jokic is the most compelling argument against the athletic supremacy model of basketball. He is not the fastest, not the most explosive, not the most physically imposing player on the court — and he is consistently the best player on the court. His reliance on skill, timing, and intelligence rather than raw athleticism has captivated audiences worldwide, and the Nuggets’ games on ESPN via Kayo Sports are essential viewing. Every Jokic performance is a masterclass in basketball artistry.

Career Statistics

Player Profile

Nikola Jokic plays centre for the Denver Nuggets and is the single most original player basketball has ever produced. The three-time MVP and 2023 champion averaged 29.6 points per game in 2024-25 while redefining what a centre can do on a basketball court. He passes like a point guard, scores like a forward, and thinks five moves ahead of everyone else on the floor. The 41st pick. The greatest player in the NBA. The most beautifully absurd story in the history of the draft.

VS — Chief sports columnist, australiafootball.com