Nikola Jokic is one of the best players in the league, and he deservedly won the 2021-22 MVP award. There's no doubt that he is an elite talent, and many view him as the best passing big man of all time. It is kind of crazy to think about the fact that the two-time MVP was only the 41st pick in the 2014 NBA Draft.
There is no doubt that the majority of people did not expect Nikola Jokic to become the caliber of player that he is. In fact, Nikola Jokic himself previously claimed that he never imagined that he would end up playing in the NBA, and also revealed that he was sleeping when he got drafted:
To be honest, I was sleeping. My brother called me, and he was partying, opening champagne... he was in New York at the time. I was like 'Come on bro, I'm sleeping.' In that moment I didn't even think it's a big thing. Cause I never imagined coming here.
One of the notable things about Nikola Jokic's draft night was that he got drafted while a Taco Bell commercial was playing. Recently, Nikola Jokic talked about that night, joking that he hopes that he would have "some percentage" from Taco Bell. Mike Singer of the Denver Post relayed the news:
And then he deftly parried the final question of the news conference, the one bookending his modest, draft-night start to where he sat on Thursday as one of the game’s most humble superstars.
'Hopefully, I’m gonna have some percentage from the Taco Bell,' he quipped.
While Nikola Jokic was eliminated in the first round this year, he still had a monster playoff run. He averaged 31.0 PPG, 13.2 RPG, and 5.8 APG in the first round against the Warriors.
The Denver Nuggets should be a contender when Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. get back from their injuries next season. Hopefully, we see Nikola Jokic lead his team on a deep playoff run next year, and there's no doubt that he will have a good chance to win a championship next season.
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