Nikola Jokic has proven time and time again that he is one of the best players in the entire world and in Game 1 of the 2023 NBA Finals, the Denver Nuggets MVP continued his display of brilliance against the Miami Heat. Finishing the game with 27 points, 14 assists and 10 rebounds, Jokic made NBA Finals history in Denver's 104-93 Game 1 victory and he once again had his head coach Michael Malone in awe of his performance.

“One thing about Nikola is he takes great satisfaction in making plays for others, he really does,” Malone stated in his postgame remarks. “I don't think he cares if he scored 27 points or not. He cares that we're up 1-0… We have some really talented players, but we need everybody in that locker room to do their jobs, to try to go and get game No. 2 on Sunday night.”

Perhaps the best quality of Jokic is that he is an extremely unselfish player and always puts the team above himself. He ended up leading the Nuggets in scoring, but Jokic only made eight shots and really was not in charge of the scoring for Denver in Game 1.

Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr. and Aaron Gordon were all extremely effective in this game and they were the main beneficiaries of Jokic's 14 assists. Impacting the game in more ways than one is what makes a player special and what Jokic did in Game 1 of the NBA Finals is yet another example of his dominance.

Whether it was talking about the MVP race this season or talking about a regular season win, Jokic has always had his mind on winning a championship in Denver and now, he has the Nuggets three wins away from doing so.

Game 2 of the 2023 NBA Finals will take place in Denver on Sunday, June 4.