Nikola Jokic
The 41st pick who rewrote the center. Drafted 41st during a fast food ad, Nikola Jokic became a three-time MVP, a champion and the most creative passing big man the NBA has ever seen.
Jokic at the line: All-Pro Reels, CC BY-SA 2.0
The pick nobody saw
When Denver chose Nikola Jokic in the second round of the 2014 draft, the television broadcast was showing a fast food commercial. Fans at home literally missed it. He was a heavy, slow-looking teenager from Sombor, Serbia, who spent another season in the Adriatic League before coming to the NBA.
Nobody expected a franchise player. What Denver got was a center with a point guard's brain, soft hands and a habit of seeing passes two moves before anyone else.
How he plays
Jokic does not jump high or run fast. He wins with angles, timing and touch. He can post up, shoot a one-legged fadeaway that has become his signature, or hit cutters with no-look passes over his head. Defenses that double him get carved up, and defenses that leave him alone get scored on.
His pick and roll partnership with guard Jamal Murray became the engine of the Nuggets. The two read each other so well that their two-man game looks rehearsed even when it is improvised.
He is also one of the best rebounders of his era, and in 2025-26 he became the first player to lead the league in both rebounds and assists per game in the same season, averaging about 27.7 points, 12.9 rebounds and 10.7 assists.
Coaches often say the ball moves faster when Jokic touches it. He makes quick decisions from the elbow, hits backdoor cutters and throws full-court outlet passes after rebounds, starting fast breaks the way point guards usually do. Young big men now study his film to learn how to see the floor.
MVPs and a ring
Jokic won back to back MVP awards in 2021 and 2022, then a third in 2024. In between, in 2023, he led Denver to the first championship in franchise history and was named Finals MVP after beating Miami in five games.
He ranks second all time in career triple-doubles and is only the second player to average a triple-double across more than one season. He also owns the fastest triple-double on record, reached in under 15 minutes of play.
He has made eight straight All-Star teams through 2026 and finished second in MVP voting in 2025-26.
The anti-celebrity superstar
Off the court Jokic is famous for not caring about fame. He talks about his horses back in Serbia more happily than about awards, and he rarely shows up in flashy tunnel outfits. For the Fly Baller crowd, that is the lesson: you do not need to look like an athlete to dominate like one. Skill, vision and work ethic can beat raw athleticism every single night.
- Jokic at the line: All-Pro Reels, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Jokic jump shot: Jose Garcia, CC BY-SA 2.0
Text written by Fly Baller.
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