Three-time MVP winner Nikola Jokic is one of the best players the NBA has ever seen. The Nuggets center’s elite combination of size, scoring and playmaking has allowed him to finish in the top-2 in MVP voting each of the last five years.
However, if Bill Simmons is to be believed, Jokic is not just special; he is also running the league in the 2020s very much alone.
“The 60’s were owned by Russell, the 70’s were owned by Kareem. The 80’s were Bird and Magic together. The 90’s were Jorden. The 2000’s were Duncan and Kobe together. The 2010’s were LeBron and Curry together. The 20’s are just Joker right now. We have ‘26, ‘27, ‘28, and ‘29,” Simmons said during a conversation with Zach Lowe and Joe House on The Bill Simmons Podcast.
Of course, fans will immediately point to the existence of other superstars who have also played at an elite level in the 2020s. Zach Lowe did exactly that, bringing up the likes of Shai-Gilgeous Alexander and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
“Giannis, who hasn’t made round two in four years,” Simmons immediately pointed out.
While there is little doubt that the Greek Freak has been a consistent phenomenon and is a two-time MVP winner, the Milwaukee Bucks have been knocked out in the first round of the playoffs in each of the last three seasons. Further, while Shai won the MVP over Jokic last year, he still has a long way to go in order to enter the conversation.
Still, critics can point out how just like Giannis, Jokic has also only won the championship once, and each of the other players Simmons mentioned as the rulers of their respective decades had championships to back up their claim as well. Hence, while there is little doubt that Jokic has been the best player in the league over the last few seasons, there is plenty of scope for others to catch up just yet.
