On Sunday afternoon, the NBA All-Star Game will take place, with Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic among the event’s starters. Jokic will be a member of the “World” team, which includes several star international players, who will compete against stars from the United States.
In that spirit, Jokic recently revealed his Mount Rushmore of international players in NBA history, per ClutchPoints’ David Mendes-Yapkowitz: Dirk Nowitzki, Manu Ginoble, Hakeem Olajuwon and Tony Parker.
Jokic also listed Pau Gasol as a possible candidate.
The Nuggets star selflessly declined to have his name placed on his Mount Rushmore, but he’ll definitely make a spot on everyone else’s list, considering he’s already brought home three MVPs and an NBA Finals win for Denver fans.
These days, the NBA has become more global than ever, with many viewing the World Team as the clear favorite to win the championship heading into All-Star weekend.
Jokic will be teammates with the likes of Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, San Antonio Spurs phenom Victor Vembanyama and Los Angeles Lakers MVP candidate Luka Doncic for the event, among other talented international players. Those players, along with Antetokounmpo, are widely viewed as the five best players in the league today, and the fact that they are all from outside the United States shows how much the game has expanded in recent years.
A big point of discussion heading into this year’s All-Star Game is whether or not the players will put in a better effort than in previous years, with many accusing them of depleting fan attendance by playing below their potential.
Given his performance over the years, Jokic may not be the guy to solve this problem, but the league will hope the USA vs. World format will be enough to motivate players to exert some energy.
#Nikola #Jokic #reveals #Mount #Rushmore #international #players
