Nikola Jokic, the star player of the Denver Nuggets and back-to-back NBA MVP in 2021 and 2022, is impressing everyone with his dominant performance in the playoffs. In a game against the Lakers in the Western Finals, the 28-year-old Serbian power forward recorded a triple-double with 34 points, 21 rebounds, and 14 assists, leading the Nuggets to a 1-0 series lead.
Misko Raznatovic, a renowned European agent, compared Jokic to Croatian basketball legend Drazen Petrovic. Raznatovic admitted that it was difficult for him to acknowledge someone being better than Petrovic, but he believes Jokic's achievements might surpass Petrovic's, with other Balkan players trailing behind. Raznatovic also noted that the era in which Petrovic played had limited opportunities for foreign players in the NBA.
Speaking about Petrovic's impact as a pioneer in the NBA, Raznatovic highlighted Petrovic's remarkable accomplishments, such as scoring over 40 points in a game and being selected to the All-NBA Third Team. He described Petrovic's style of basketball and fancy moves as the greatest fusion of sport and art he has ever witnessed.
Raznatovic expressed surprise at Jokic's rise to stardom, admitting that he did not expect Jokic to reach such heights, just like many others. However, he recognized Jokic's incredible talent and natural abilities. Jokic's two-time NBA MVP titles, achieved without traditional athleticism, have proven skeptics wrong and impressed Raznatovic, who hopes Jokic continues his exceptional performance.
According to Raznatovic, one of Jokic's secrets to success is his professionalism both on and off the court. Jokic remains unaffected by external distractions, including social media, and displays modesty and punctuality. Raznatovic is highly satisfied with Jokic's seriousness and intelligence, stating that he has built an admirable off-court image and serves as a role model for younger generations.
Comparing Jokic's and Petrovic's numbers over 28 years in the NBA, Jokic, born on February 19, 1995, has averaged 24.5 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 9.8 assists in the current season. Since joining the NBA in 2015 as the 41st overall pick in the 2014 Draft at the age of 20, his career averages stand at 20.2 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 6.6 assists.
On the other hand, Drazen Petrovic, born on October 22, 1964, tragically passed away at the age of 28 on June 7, 1993, in a traffic accident in Germany. Petrovic played only four seasons in the NBA, split between the Portland Trail Blazers and the New Jersey Nets. He entered the NBA in 1989 at the age of 25 after leaving Real Madrid. Petrovic's NBA career statistics include averaging 15.4 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 2.4 assists, with his best season being 1992-93 when he scored 22.3 points per game.
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