Lou Williams on Jokic: Great, but not in the top ten

Since being selected by the Nuggets with the 41st pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic's career has far exceeded the dreams of many players.

In the past four years, Jokic has won the MVP three times, only losing to Joel Embiid in 2023. In the same year, he led the Nuggets to win the NBA championship and won the Finals MVP. However, apart from that championship journey, he has no other finals experience.

This season, Jokic is striving for his fourth MVP trophy. His current averages are astonishing: 31.6 points, 13.0 rebounds, 9.9 assists, and a shooting percentage of 55.6%/47.7%/80.4%. With three MVP trophies and a championship, Jokic has already locked in a ticket to the Hall of Fame and is constantly climbing up the list of historical status.

Despite this, opinions vary as to whether Jokic has made it into the top 10 players of all time. Phoenix Suns superstar Kevin Durant believes Jokic is one of the top 10 players in NBA history, but former Los Angeles Clippers star and three-time Sixth Man of the Year Lou Williams disagrees. On the "Run It Back" show, Lou Williams expressed his opinion: "I'm not sure if he can make my personal top 10, but he is definitely a guy who will leave a lasting impact in this league. What he has achieved and what he is building in his career is amazing. But so far, there are definitely 10 players who I feel have had more complete careers."

Jokic has already proven himself to be one of the greatest players of all time, especially if he can win his fourth MVP award in five seasons. However, as Williams said, Jokic still needs to achieve more to surpass those true all-time greats.

The arrival of another championship will greatly consolidate Jokic's historical status. Williams also mentioned that if Jokic can win another championship and MVP, then his historical ranking will be a "completely different discussion."