By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Nikola Jokic reacted to LeBron James becoming the new leading scorer in NBA history.
In a retrospective, anybody passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on NBA’s all-time scoring list was considered a stretch of the imagination. Refusing to slow down, James was finally projected to break the record in the 2022-23 Regular Season and required 36 points as the Los Angeles Lakers played hosts to the Oklahoma City Thunder at crypto.com Arena Tuesday. Naturally attracting the attention of the fans packing the venue and all around the basketball world. The Joker was no exception.
“Nobody in the near future will do what he did. It’s a great accomplishment, of course. I think the guy didn’t have a prime, he’s been in his prime for 20 years. Not a lot of people can do that in a sport,” Jokic mentioned in the postgame press conference following the Denver Nuggets blowing out the Minnesota Timberwolves at Ball Arena.
Jokic, 27, was on the receiving end of a standing ovation in his own right. In Los Angeles, the game stopped for about ten minutes to celebrate the historic moment. Fans in Denver were following as well while focusing on their own superstar, the reigning back-to-back MVP putting up crazy stats in a hurry.
“If you want an idol, he is somebody you can look up to, because he’s always in shape, always leading the team, playing consistently for 20 years, winning championships and MVPs,” the Serbian big added on LeBron before sharing his take on the comfortable win against the Timberwolves.
Nikola Jokic’s postgame press conference
Logging his 19th triple-double of the season by halftime and becoming the third player in NBA history to register a triple-double in 28 or fewer minutes, Jokic put up a show as the leaders of the Western Conference retained a lead of 4.5 games over the second-placed Memphis Grizzlies.
Averaging a triple-double with 24.8 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 10.1 assists alongside 1.3 steals and 0.7 blocks per game, he has been firing on all cylinders throughout his eighth campaign in Denver. It is looking pretty good heading to the 2023 Playoffs for the team coached by Michael Malone and quarterbacked by Serbia’s own Jokic.
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