Dirk Nowitzki rejects Nikola Jokic comparison for surprising reason

Denver Nuggets big man Nikola Jokic has been drawing comparisons to Dallas Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki.

While some might believe Jokic hasn’t earned that honor just yet, Nowitzki himself is actually grateful to be mentioned in the same breath as the Denver stud.

“Damn,” he texted, according to ESPN’s Zach Lowe. “That’s a compliment. I wish I had his skill set. His passing is so good it’s a joke. I unfortunately always wanted to score and not pass.”

Ever since ascending to stardom, Jokic has been compared to some of the best passing big men in the NBA’s history. His vision and touch on the ball are things that fans and players alike are not used to seeing from a sturdy 7-footer.

In the 2019-20 regular season, Jokic averaged 19.9 points, 9.7 rebounds and 7.0 assists per game.

As for Nowitzki, he was similarly unique as a 7-footer during his time the league. While most big men at the time were used solely in the post, Nowitzki managed to stretch the court offensively thanks to his ability to dominate from mid- and long-range.

On his career, he scored 20.7 points per game on 47.1 percent shooting from the field and 38.0 percent from beyond the arc.

At the moment, Jokic and the Nuggets are trying to do something that Nowitzki and the Mavs did back in 2011 by winning an NBA title.

The Nuggets are currently down 2-1 to the surging Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals. If they end up winning the series, there’s no doubt that Jokic will be a major reason why.