NBA Hall of Famer and analyst Charles Barkley is often critical of the current state of the NBA, but it sounds like Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets have restored some of his faith in the current generation after an impressive, and drama-free, championship run in the 2023 season.

On the Bill Simmons podcast, Barkley shared his feelings on Denver and Jokic's impressive title win.

“With all the BS that goes on in the NBA, what the Nuggets and the Joker accomplished just made me feel good,” Barkley said. “No super team, no drama.”

“Joker and Giannis, they make me feel good about my sport.”

Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo both notably stayed and won championships with the franchises that originally drafted them, and did so without trade demands or any major distractions.

The homegrown duo of Jamal Murray and Jokic served as a stark contrast to some of the teams in the Western Conference that stood in Denver's way, including the new-look Suns with Kevin Durant and the Los Angeles Lakers with LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

Denver's dominant run through the playoffs was as impressive as any seen in recent history, as the Nuggets never faced elimination and won 10 of their last 11 games to win the 2023 championship.

Charles Barkley, who was traded multiple times and never won an NBA championship, perhaps has a unique perspective on how the Denver Nuggets and Jokic managed to win a title. Perhaps more importantly, Jokic and Giannis have never represented their respective franchises in a negative way in public life, keeping relatively low profiles for superstars of their stature.

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, 28, is a two-time regular season MVP, 2023 Finals MVP, and 2023 NBA Champion.