Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic was encouraged by the strides his former teammate, now-Portland Trail Blazers big man Jusuf Nurkic has made in the past two seasons since getting traded.
Despite the initial dream of a twin-tower tandem, Jookic and Nurkic just couldn't coexist in the same frontcourt, forcing Nurkic out eventually after a reported fallout with the organization.
Yet Jokic has always remained friendly toward Nurkic, even as the two battled on the block and around the perimeter, testing their skills against one another.
“I think he improved himself a lot,” said Jokic, according to Harrison Wind of BSN Denver. “He’s stronger. He’s more established right now. He’s even more patient in the low post. He’s a great player.”
Jokic put up a near-triple-double with 40 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists in a narrow 116-113 win over the Blazers. Despite having an eye-popping performance, Jokic's first post-game choice was to find Nurkic and hug him — a true testament to their friendship, even after the trade that sent them in separate ways.
Nurkic is mirroring the numbers he put up during the tail end of the 2016-17 season, posting 15.2 points and 10.4 rebounds while striping 74.4 percent of his foul shots, a career-best.
“The Bosnian Beast” became the first player in NBA history to record a five-by-five (five in five different statistical categories) while trotting out 20 points and 20 rebounds.
Nurkic's 24 points, 23 rebounds, seven assists, five steals and five blocks on New Year's Day against the Sacramento Kings is the stuff legends are made of and a true sign of his prowess as a player since getting traded by the Nuggets.
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