Despite LeBron James Being $950,000,000 Richer than Nikola Jokic, Lakers Legend Compares the Finals MVP to the King

The Denver Nuggets went on to create history in 2023 NBA Finals with their first-ever championship. Serbian baller Nikola Jokic emerged as the guiding light for the team’s glory. Fittingly, the 6 ’11 giant won the Finals MVP as well. Despite his recent Finals’ exploits, the majority of fans still considered LeBron James as a better baller than the Joker. But an 85-year-old Los Angeles Lakers legend thinks otherwise.

Over the years, fans and analysts compared budding players to legends like Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant, and these players ended up failing to attain that title. However, in this case, it’s odd to witness a legend like Jerry West to draw a comparison between The King and The Joker.

Why did Jerry West compare Nikola Jokic to billionaire LeBron James?

LeBron James became the first active NBA player to become a billionaire. Apart from basketball paychecks, the superstar handles an array of off-court activities that fetch him millions of dollars. On the other hand, Nikola Jokic has a net worth of $50 million, reported Marca. Notably, Jokic held the NBA’s biggest contract until Tyrese Haliburton and Jaylen Brown surpassed him in the current offseason. Leaving the monetary aspect aside, let’s find out what Jerry West had in mind when he compared Jokic to James.

In an interview with the Sports Illustrated, West called the 28-year-old Jokic as Just Amazing. “He’s got the greatest pair of hands of any inside player,” the veteran said. Following that, he compared him with James: “He is like LeBron James.” He also considered the Nuggets star as a rare player: “The brilliance of him as a player… his mind, his mind makes everyone better. These things rub off on your teammates.”

Read More: Despite Winning Nuggets Their First-Ever NBA Championship, 2-Time MVP Nikola Jokic Gets Disparaged by LeBron James’ Former Lakers Teammate

Despite his greatness, Bron always respects his competitors. Let’s find what he had to say about Joker.

What did Bron say about Jokic?

After losing the Western Conference Finals against the Nuggets, James addressed the press. During that time, he spoke about the greatness of Jokic.

He said, “There are certain guys in this league that play the game a certain way, a certain way that I like to play the game as well, and he’s one of them.” 

The King James later went on to talk about his insane ability near the rim and off-balance shooting skills. “He’s special,” reported Sports Illustrated.

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Will Jokic repeat his magic in the upcoming season? Or will it be King James show? Let us know in the comments.