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Nikola Jokic has mastered the art of making the impossible look routine. On March 28, he casually led the Denver Nuggets to a 129-93 beatdown of the Utah Jazz, stuffing the stat sheet like it was just another day at the office—27 points, 14 rebounds, 6 assists, 4 steals, and a career milestone. Did we miss something? Oh, and he also launched a 62-foot, one-handed buzzer-beater just for fun!

But while Jokic was out there defying logic, he also found time to take a hilarious jab at the NBA’s latest All-Star Game experiment, Luka Doncic, and an idea so ridiculous that even Adam Silver might have to think twice!

After the game, a reporter asked Jokic about his deep-range accuracy, specifically how he manages to make those ridiculous long-distance shots look so easy.

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Jokic’s response? Pure comedy. “I mean, I don’t know if it’s accuracy, I missed 30 and I made two, so. That’s a better percentage than a lot of people,” he joked. Then, without skipping a beat, he dragged Luka Doncic into the conversation. “Luka’s pretty good at that, so, I don’t know, maybe it’s just… Is it a Vulcan thing? Probably. Let’s take that, it’s a Vulcan thing.

Yes, you heard that right! Jokic just declared himself and Doncic honorary Vulcans, as if their basketball IQ and shot-making abilities come from a different species altogether.

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But then came the real punchline. When asked if he would compete in a potential long-distance shooting contest at All-Star Weekend, he didn’t even hesitate. “I think that would be really bad competition.

Jokic has spoken. But unfortunately for him, the NBA is desperately trying to fix its All-Star Game, and Adam Silver is throwing ideas at the wall, hoping something sticks.

Top Comment by BelligerentBalkan

Bob Scott

I watched the video. He clearly says Balkan and it wasn’t his idea, it was the reporters. He...more

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Adam Silver finally admits the NBA’s All-Star mess

At this point, it’s no secret—the All-Star Game has become a snooze fest. The NBA tried to spice things up this year by introducing a four-team mini-tournament, but let’s just say… it flopped HARD!

Even Adam Silver, who usually defends these changes, couldn’t deny the truth. “I thought this was a little better, but it was a miss. We’re not there in terms of creating an All-Star experience that we can be proud of and that our players can be proud of.

In other words: Back to the drawing board.

So now, the league is looking at something completely different—a USA vs. World format. With NBC taking over the All-Star broadcast next year and the event happening right in the middle of the Winter Olympics, the NBA sees an opportunity to bring national pride into the equation.

The NHL did something similar this year, and it was a huge success. Silver is hoping the NBA can copy that formula.

The question is: Does a USA vs. World game even make sense?

On paper, a World team featuring Jokic, Doncic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Victor Wembanyama sounds like a cheat code. But once you get past the megastars, things start to get a little… questionable.

Even Silver seems to realize this.

People have floated USA vs. World. I’m not sure that makes sense with the level of development, if that’s fair to lump all the other countries together these days. Maybe we can single out some national teams that can compete.” It’s a fair concern, but some players love the idea. Giannis is all for it. “I think that would be the most interesting and most exciting format. For sure, I’d take pride in that.

Wembanyama agrees. “There’s more pride in it. More stakes.” And what about Jokic? Yeah, he’s probably rolling his eyes.

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via Imago

Based on his reaction to the potential long-distance contest, he’s not here for gimmicks. He’s not the type to get hyped about a forced USA vs. World rivalry. If he’s playing, he’s playing because he has to—not because he’s fired up about national bragging rights.

Nikola Jokic might not have directly commented on the USA vs. World idea, but his response to the half-court shooting contest said it all. The NBA doesn’t need another flashy “innovation” or a weird new format. What it needs is players who actually care about the game. Jokic’s “Vulcan” joke, his dismissal of gimmicks, and his complete lack of interest in anything that isn’t real competition all send the same message:

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The All-Star Game doesn’t need fixing—it just needs effort.

Silver is running out of ideas. USA vs. World might be the next experiment. But unless the league can figure out a way to get stars like Jokic to actually want to compete, it’s just going to be another miss.

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