Nikola Jokic has revealed his four greatest NBA players of all time, and his selections have left some of basketball’s biggest names off the list.
The Denver Nuggets superstar named Bill Russell, Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain and Stephen Curry as his all-time top four, with the Warriors guard the only player from Jokic’s generation to make the cut.
The three-time MVP explained his reasoning during an interview with SPORTbible, pointing to championships, individual achievements and the impact each player has had on basketball.
“Probably Bill Russell because of the championship,” Jokic said.
“Michael Jordan because he changed the game,” he continued. “Probably Wilt Chamberlain because of all the numbers and all the crazy stats. And I’m going to put Steph Curry because he changed the game and he’s kind of my generation.
“I played against the guy, so he kind of changed the game,” Jokic added about Curry. “So those are the four.”
Curry’s inclusion comes after a career that has seen him win four NBA championships, two MVP awards and establish himself as the greatest three-point shooter in league history.
However, Jokic’s selections notably excluded LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant and Tim Duncan, alongside legends such as Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
The Serbian center was also asked about the toughest opponents he has faced throughout his 11-year NBA career.
Rather than singling out one player, Jokic highlighted several of the league’s premier big men.
“I mean, I think the league is so talented,” Jokic said. “It’s so good that there are so many players.
“But let’s say in my generation, it’s [Joel] Embiid, [Karl-Anthony] Towns, Anthony Davis, basically all the big names, Victor [Wembanyama] right now. So it’s a really talented league right now.”
Jokic has established himself among the NBA’s elite, winning three MVP awards and leading Denver to its first championship in 2023.
Through 810 regular-season appearances, he has averaged 22.2 points, 11.1 rebounds and 7.5 assists.
Despite his own achievements, Jokic’s selections suggest he values the players who changed basketball just as much as those who dominated it statistically.
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