Nikola Jokić is VALIDATING Former Legends 

What’s the dumbest narrative/criticism about an NBA player?

Yeah dudes in 2060 will look at how Lebron was playing against guys that look like Luka and Jokic and be like "Lol he could never survive today! He was playing Twitch streamers and doordashers!"

The great Johann Cruyff once said:"You play football with your head and your legs are there to help you" and i think this saying translates very well accordingly to all other team sports

As a bit of an "old head" I absolutely love Jokic. He's the complete opposite of the flashy, highlight tape, instagram workout video, shot-chucking AAU wannabes who are so common today. Quiet guy, puts the work in, and dominates the game with intelligence, footwork, and unbelievable efficiency. Bonus points for being a beast in the low post, he has the footwork and skills of an old school interior big.

Thank you. Anyone who has eyes can see how good Bird was. It’s mind blowing how people still try to diss him

Jokic has elite hand eye coordination. Elite reaction time. Excellent timing. Elite endurance. Ox strength. Just because he doesn’t look like Dwight Howard doesn’t mean he is unathletic

Truth is the 90's NBA had plenty of terrific athletes

Nikola Jokic has some underrated aspects of athleticism as well. He may not have defined muscles, but the guy is strong as shit and can utilize his strength in the post just as much as his soft touch. Not only that, but he has the amazing endurance to keep moving up and down the court, running barely less miles per game than his teammate, Jamal Murray. From the eye test as well, he's got the hustle and keeps moving.

As someone who watched Bird dominating players much more athletic than him it's so satisfying watching "fat" Jokic destroying these monster athletic modern players who according to modern nba fans who didn't watch anything pre LeBron would be unmatched to the slower , unathletic guys of the 80s,90s.

Anyone who doesnt over dribble and take inefficient shots is considered unskilled. Players from the past are just as tall and fast. Its called rule changes.

One of my favorite things about Jokic is his gait when getting down the court. I feel like I can vicariously live my dead NBA dream through him sometimes.

It's satisfying when Jokic, Luka, and KD prove their skills and others are proven wrong. Because you cannot see Jokic excel and EVER say Bird couldn't cut it today.

By the way, two of the most athlethic gifted players to this day played in the 60s.

When Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant (RIP), Isiah Thomas, LEBRON JAMES, Bill Russell (RIP), Wilt Chamberlain (RIP), and Dirk Nowitski, have Larry Bird on their personal Mount Rushmores, the opinions of some random Millennial casual fans don’t really matter. But yeah, Jokic and Luka dominating the NBA killed that silly narrative about Bird not being able to play in the “more athletic” current NBA. Larry Bird on THIS current Celtics team is hanging another banner in Boston in 2023.

Even though Dirk Nowitzki wasn't a triple-double machine like Jokic is, I've always felt that he was the first to validate the likes of Bird in the 21st century.

Don't forget what a 33 year old Dirk Nowitzki did to the hyper athletic 2011 Heat in their prime.

Larry Bird would have a similar impact in today’s NBA as Jokic. In fact, his back might have survived a lot longer if he played today because the game allows far less contact.

Jokic is proof that Bird would definitely be able to hang. The ball can move much faster than any player. Basketball IQ on that level will always be a star provided the player is a good enough shooter and athlete. An example of a player who had the IQ, but

As a coach who struggles to get across the fact that being mentally strong is 4X more important than being physically strong, Jokic is proving all us "Boomers" / "old heads" right.

Duncan wasn't athletic after about his 4th year n he got it done too

Basketball has and always will be a skill game. No matter what people wanna say.

Watching Jokic in these finals reminds me so much of Bird, obviously way different position but the court vision and craftiness is so similar. Plus in these playoffs Joker is shooting like Bird too lol

The traditional bigmen not being skilled argument is ridiculous.

Been saying this same thing to this new generation of fans. Ive always found it hilarious that in the same breath they can say Bird was a bum or overrated but call Luka a god

This is one of the best videos you have done. You see a lot of comments degrading previous decades calling them plumbers unathletic and so forth. It does your head in. Jokic is a legend doing what hasn't been done before despite being called the same

Essentially this is more a game of SKILL than athleticism.

Ive said it for 20 years, running and jumping does not an athlete make. The aspect that holds the most weight is coordination and its not even close. running, jumping, quickness are all gravy. The person with the best coordination is almost always good at every sport

43yo Aussie here and watched most of your videos... this is your best yet because of the point it makes. Absolutely 100% on point

Today's NBA players have all the medicine and technology. Yet they get injured more and load manage every season.

Players like Luka Doncic and Zach Randolph also come to mind when thinking about elite players who weren’t all that athletic

Unreported fact… Bird was 6’10 also he had the same vertical as Karl Malone but somehow Malone was never called unathletic

I agree with everything you said here, and I'm glad a "basketball youtuber" finally made a video on this subject. I've been rooting for Jokic to stack MVP awards so that the "casuals" of today will hear the same ludicrous stuff they're saying now in another 20-30 years from future "casuals"

The crazy thing is 30 years from now Jokic will be underrated and disrespected by the youth coming up when they look up his highlights. People will always overrate athleticism.

Holy shit dude you've been absolutely killing it with the videos lately. Keep these up 👍

Something else to think about too is he’s a big man and by him not having much of a vertical it’s possible that in the long term his body holds up better because he’s not jumping up so high and landing so hard on his legs

Great job explaining this. Basketball isn’t powerlifting or even track and field. There is certain advantages being physically fit, but its not as important as skill.

Europeans have always stated that Americans value the wrong qualities in basketball.

Great video. Michael Jordan was the best combination of ultra Uber athleticism and sound tight fundamentals. He’s the best to ever do it and he had it all. I’m sorry the younger generations don’t get that anymore.

90s player was biggest players. All Centers and Power Forwards was big. But still no one could hold Shaq lol😂😂😂

I don't think people understand that calling Jokic "unathletic" as a negative is an insult to the league as a whole. Because that means that every player in the NBA right now who is faster, stronger and leaps higher than Jokic is being dominated by an "unathletic" guy.

Dude, you are prolific these days! Keep it coming! I agree with this, and the take I’ve heard you offer before, about comparing generations.

I´m really impressed on how far the channel has grown, watch every vid for 3+ years, always very good quality, and most of all the iconic intro. it gives me nostalgia every time I watch your vids.

Thanks for making this video Johnny!! 😅 That’s probably one of the worst takes you’ll hear from anyone saying guys in the 80’s and 90’s were plumbers. I’m a firm believer that the teams of the 80’s and 90’s would destroy teams of today.

This video was much needed, thank you for this 👏

Bird was atheletic way more than Luka or Joker

Jonny's been on a roll lately

I recently showed my Pops Jokers highlights a couple of weeks ago n he immediately took a liking to him do to his play style,cause of da FACT that his play on the court resembles the players of da 60's 70s n 80's,he hates when the younger fan critics say the players of da past weren't as athletic as today's players.Also anyone can be a great athlete in Basketball n still not be a Great player,because they are lacking SKILL

Athleticism Build/body Skill (offensive and defensive) And IQ Its a mix of these things that really make a player great. You can entirely lack one of these things and still be an all time great player.

While Jokic can't even jump on a stool, he is a lot stronger than he looks and he has way better endurance than people think. He played 65 minutes in an NBA game. You can't do that without endurance. Your overall point though is very true and this is why I'm so glad people like you exist on RU-vid.

And then there are teams who draft players in the lottery who are just athletic. Sometimes it works out but most of the time you'll end up with a Derrick Williams.

Basketball is an art and there are different kinds of art styles. You CAN be a phenomenal athlete and rely on that athleticism. But you can also overcome a lack of phenomenal athleticism with phenomenal skills. Each of these play styles are valid if they work and produce works of art.

My memories are vague since I was just a little kid, but I can remember the NBA in the 90s having plenty of brilliant athletes

"Those muscles ain't gonna help you." Larry LEGEND

2:29 best version of Jordan was 91 Jordan. 28 years old seems to be every great players prime year. 90-91 Jordan, 05-06 Kobe, 12-13 Lebron, 22-23 Jokic - All 28 years old

you cant go ANY MORE OBJECTIVE than you did.💪🏼💪🏼

Appreciate your insight Jonny! This was spot on.

I've been thinking about this for the last couple weeks. Glad you made this vid!

The whole “Older players would t do well in today’s NBA” argument is really silly, because in another 20 years or so you may see people start saying the same thing about the stars of today

I've actually used this argument when 80's and 90's players get bashed for not being athletic enough to "hang" with today's super athletic freaks. Smarts and fundamentals sure go a long way, which is why Larry Bird would've killed it in any era.

Best video you ever did amazing stuff johnny

Exactly... bro is a modern day Larry Legend

The Joker is Larry Bird at the center position. He’s this generation’s Larry legend.

Great video. For years ive been saying things similar to this. The older generations would have absolutely lit it up on offense. The faster pace, more possessions and rule changes. Now they would have got it on the other end also when playing defense. I saw PRIME miami heat Lebron battle with a mid 30s paul pierce. Everyone shouod know Heat Lebron was the best version of him and ge had his hands full with a older 6-6,6-7 paul pierce. No offense to Paul Pierce but at his best he was 70 percent the player prime Bird was . Also remember Bird was 6-9 with unlimited range. Prime Bird and Prime Lebron wouod absolutely battle. They wouldn't be able to stop each other. A far cry from this " janitor" nonsense.

I really enjoyed this video!!!!

What I love about Jokic, is that he is a constant type of player, due to his abilities, body and style, he doesn't put as much pressure on his body as the 'highlight reel' players out of high school and college, heck I can even out elementary and junior high in that list; all those kids that just want to make the flashiest dribbles and run lightning fast and dunk with power always end up being burned out by the time they enter the NBA, their bodies are extremely injury prone and end either missing a ton of games or they have to retire too young because they peaked way too young and ended up destroying themselves. Joke, Doncic and other European players instead focus a lot more on fundamentals and yes, they are not as flashy, but they are consistent, look at people in the past, like Kukoc, Duncan or Manu, they were extremely healthy and while at times they weren't as flashy or destroyed the opponents with monstrous dunks, they are some of the most successful players of all time, and they played day in and day out, the rarely missed games due to injury, they were tough as nails and very durable, they may not have looked like steroid junkies all beefed up, but their bodies could withstand so much tear and wear, and they all played for decades, well beyond what the 'hyper athletic' players do, sure, Manu got injured, but he bounced back time and time again and kept winning.

It’s funny because we all know who’s fanbase are the ones calling older players plumbers lol….

I think this is a common problem that I've seen amongst both NBA and NFL. Back in, at least, the 90s, it just felt like players were built different and were far more durable. They played through minor injuries and they weren't as jacked as they are today. Nowadays, it seems like NFL and NBA players are getting injured at a higher rating and apparently it's true. I also think there is far more of an emphasis on building muscle to "look" impressive than there is to have great conditioning and have your body withstand long periods of play without breaking down. However when it comes to perception, people diss players from the 80s and the 90s for not being as jacked as players are today........hence the plumber insult. Yet these same fans will get mad when you call people like Kawhi, KD, Kyrie, Harden, Davis or LeBron "soft" because despite their superior physical appearances to a lot of players in the past (aside from Durant of this bunch), they are less likely to play every game in a season and less likely to make it through a full season intact.........sure the perception is that you "look" better but at least someone like a Larry Bird or even a Jeff Hornacek (who is everybody's go to when it comes to mocking players of the 90s) at least had a higher chance of playing than these overpaid superstar athletes who, combined, haven't played a full season in, what, years?

I think the weight difference between generations might be one of the reasons they get hurt more often. You can strengthen your body all you want but you can’t strengthen your tendons and ligaments. Basketball isn’t even a sport you need that much strength in the first place. It’s always been a sport of skill, agility and judgment. All the reasons I love the game.

Larry and Nikola has another attribute in common......Hustle.

i think the best basketball players of all time are the ones who primarily use their physical gifts (speed, leaping ability, strength, endurance, height, etc.) to support their skill, rather than the other way around. even physical beasts like lebron, kareem, and mj were some of the most skilled players of all time.

Thank you for this video. It is laughable some of the critiques and insults lobbed at past era players by people today. They I guess think that human beings magically became way more athletic in the last 20 years. Some of the stuff said about bird in particular is just uneducated, ignorant nonsense. As is the narrative that players before the year 2000 were unathletic, unskilled “plumbers and firemen”. You’re seeing it more and more in an attempt to discredit past generation players like magic, bird, Kareem, and MJ and bring up new players like Lebron, curry, Durant etc. It’s sad more than anything.

Nice. Love when I get to see more old school - like

Man, an nba player is what it is, an athlete that plays basketball at a high level, what else are people looking for?

Since the league has always been a copycat league (3 guards after Rockets victory, 3 point era, et al.) I predict teama are going to be taking a longer look trying to find the next Joker out there and in five years time we will see many more pass first players dominating the NBA.

Luka is a similiar example. He's not fast, handles aren't that great, but he hangs 30 on any player any team any night. Some guys just can maximize their talent on an unbelievable level.

I laugh when I hear people criticize Jokic for his lack of athleticism. He can play any position on the floor at 7'1", he drops 3's whenever he wants, and his terrific passing makes him a great team player. You have to love a big man with that many assists.

"Looks like he spends more time in his pantry than in the gym" kinda crazy when you looking at how good Jokic's conditioning is.

Bravo 🎉 Wonderful! As a basketball fan that has been watching the NBA since Rick Barry was shooting underhanded free throws. When Elvin Hayes and Bobby Dandridge and Wes Unsled led the Bullets to a championship over the Sonics. When the finals were shown on tape delay. From playing in the back alley playing with my friends I’m with a milk crate nailed to a telephone pole. saying I’m David Thompson, or I’m Dr Dunkenstein, everyone wanted to be Dr J. As we soar and dunk on the milk crate flying high like our favorite NBA stars. Or finger rolling from from away like George Gervin. Lol. So many guys I could name just off the top of my head who were supremely athletic but didn’t last in the league. Trying to school younger fans telling them athleticism is only good for highlights but fundamentals are for winning. I’ve played against guys in high school who made the NBA. I played against guys who were far superior athletes than the guys who made the NBA, but never made it past junior college, or D3 ball.

I wonder how the Joker would have gone against the great centres of the 90s. Shaq, Hakeem, Robinson Ewing etc. be interesting

Athletes of the seventies and eighties oftentimes didn't hit the weight room because at the time they feared becoming "muscle bound" and losing flexibility - such was the thinking at the time

This video was perfect on this subject.

Lebron fanboys in shambles rn

Any great player can play in any era. Transfer bill Russell to today with the training the coaching the aau programs nutrition “cough cough” the drugs! Still would be great. His game jus would look different

Agreed ! Very good content

PERFECT TRANSLATION

I think Jokic is actually super athletic. We need to stop watching athleticism just as explosive power and jumping ability. Most important factor of athleticism is coordination and Nikola is incredibly well coordinated plus he is strong af, very few guys can stop him in the post

Amazing video bro!!💪💪 I'll give you another example of a basketball player who never made a single nba game in his life. And yet became an amazing scorer despite looking like a chicken nugget. Robert "Sonny" Jaworski Standing 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) he played 23 seasons 1967-1998 in the PBA. His accolades include: 13× PBA champion (1975 First, 1975 Second, 1977 Invitational, 1978 All-Filipino, 1978 Invitational, 1979 Invitational, 1981 Open, 1982 Reinforced Filipino, 1982 Open, 1986 Open, 1988 All-Filipino, 1991 First, 1997 Commissioner's) 6× PBA Mythical First Team (1977-1981, 1986) 2× PBA Mythical Second Team (1985, 1988) 2× PBA All-Defensive Team (1985, 1988) 4× PBA All-Star (1989, 1990, 1991, 1992) 5× PBA All-Star Coach (1990-1992, 1996-1997) PBA 25 Greatest Players of All Time PBA 40 Greatest Players of All Time PBA All-time leader in career assists PBA Hall of Fame Class of 2005 2x UAAP champion (1965, 1966) UAAP Most Valuable Player (1966) UAAP Rookie of the Year (1964) He also had two gold medals in the FIBA Asian games in 1967 and 1973. He was also the first point guard to achieve 1000 offensive and 2000 defensive rebounds. He retired at the age of 50. In his last season as a player coach.

This is the account I come to for NBA takes as they are entrenched in logic and facts. You are better than half of these hacks on TV

I love this channel, man! Seriously. 👏🙌

Imagine saying a guy with the skill and IQ level of Larry Bird could not play in this era

In comparison to the total population. Jokic,bird and Luca are all very athletic. In my country Philippines the centers here are 6'5 or 6'6 and 90% of them are not as athletic as jokic. Stephen curry is a very athletic guy. Strength,speed,jump,quickness those phisicalities are all stats of an athlete.

Brilliant insight and a great video!

It's the same for many things. Too many people are ignorant about the past (in my case people that don't know much about old movies and novels). I mean we all are like that towards many things, but the smart thing to do is to not talk too much when your knowledge is limited. Or at least be smart enough to realize and admit when you are wrong.

If athleticism is just jumping…Jokic is not athletic. But if its strength, coordination, endurance, then he is extremely athletic.

8 pounds soaking wet is crazy 😂

Thanks and keep preaching

It's crazy looking at Larry Bird's right index finger and realizing how jacked up it was before he even played a single NBA game.

Dumbest criticism... hmm, anything from ESPN, but the Goat of stupid takes is between; Kendrick Perkins, Ryan Hollins, Nick Wrigth and Skip Baseless

Great presentation of the real facts 👏

This is why its insane to me that people try to act like wilt chamberlain and bill russel are no big deal now, along with other olayers from that era like sam jones (had 10 rings as a player and 13 alltogether as a player and a coach) and nate thurmond and other peolle like dr. j and artis gilmore. Its just wild