Basketball players born and raised in America often have a similar body type. They are athletically gifted and use those physical attributes along with their understanding of the game to be great. European players on the other hand are generally known to be ‘soft’ in comparison, which explains why not many do well in the NBA. Except for a certain 3-time MVP Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets.
The panel on The OGs Show had former teammate Hassan Whiteside as a guest on their latest episode. He weighed in on who his favorite big men were.
I like Jokic. I think people don’t realize how wide he is. Then he’s hitting you like (enacting Jokic’s unstable walking). He’s all slimy and sweaty. Your arm is just slipping off. And then he hit a turn-around, shoot some nonchalant s*** like this. And it go right in, you looking like, it’s no way bruh. I’m in the weight room every day, I’m doing all this conditioning. And you just look at him.
Hassan Whiteside said
Udonis Haslem had a rather witty response.
The math ain’t mathing.
Udonis Haslem said
All three acknowledged that one cannot explain how Nikola Jokic is the best player in the world. Especially when looking at the way he plays the game. It is not a shot at his shooting stroke or his athleticism, but rather an appreciation of what breaking the stereotype means. The Denver Nuggets superstar has enough body strength to push through physically imposing opponents. Then drops them dead with his uncharacteristic shooting style.
That ‘unnatural for an NBA player’ build has become a problem for the rest of the league. As is evident with the 3 league MVPs he has won and the NBA title in 2023. In fact, he is already the favorite to win the MVP next season.
Nikola Jokic’s off-season activities could give a hint at his greatness
All basketball players prefer to mix up rest alongside a bit of basketball, just to keep themselves sharp before the next season starts. Nikola Jokic is an exception. Stories of his ways are already folklore among fans of the game, as there is no evidence that he plays any amount of basketball during the off-season.
Instead, he is seen spending time with his family, preparing his horses to go racing. Partying and drinking, and going on vacations. It is not like other NBA players do not do some of these activities. But they also put in some work at the gym. There is no evidence of the 29-year-old working out during the off-season. He has also mentioned several times in the past that basketball is not everything in his life. Maybe that should give a clue.
It seems his engagements in his hometown are rigorous enough to shed any fat he builds up. Then a few days in the gym before training camp and everything is just as it was before. This nonchalant approach could be the reason why the Denver Nuggets star is already one of the all-time greats.
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