What happens if you combine the skillsets of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson? You get Nikola Jokic, the reigning NBA Finals MVP and consensus best player in the world. That’s the opinion of James Worthy, who won three championships playing alongside Abdul-Jabbar and Johnson in a Lakers uniform.
That’s incredibly high praise when you consider the resumes of Abdul-Jabbar and Johnson, two players who feature in most people’s Mount Rushmore of basketball greats.
Worthy’s comments came after he was awestruck by Jokic’s greatness during Game 1 of the West playoffs. Jokic’s tally of 32 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists propelled the Nuggets to a 114-103 win as the defending champions took a 1-0 lead in the series.