23 for ‘23: Nikola Jokić Is One of a Kind

There is nobody in the NBA like Nikola Jokić. He loves harness racing yet seems blasé about basketball. After winning the Finals in June he bemoaned having to stay in Denver for the parade, and he likened his dominance to eating ice cream 10 days in a row—as in, even things you love doing can become tiresome.

Still, on the court there is no greater offensive force in the league than the Joker, who can make sure his team gets a good shot down the floor on nearly every possession.

While Jokić does all this with the nonchalance of a high schooler working a summer job for spending money, his demeanor belies his will to win. Even if we’ve never quite seen someone like him before—essentially a better-shooting Magic Johnson in a burly, seven-foot body—he’s as great and driven as any of his contemporaries. The proof is in the ring.