Now considered by many to be the best player in the league, Nikola Jokic has many similarities to LeBron James. A player who played for the Lakers and the Nuggets nevertheless believes that an important characteristic separates them.

NBA superstars LeBron James (left) and Nikola Jokic (right)

Could the 2023 Western Conference Finals remain as a transfer of power in NBA history? In any case, this is the interpretation that a plethora of observers drew from it at the time of the events. The latter in any case saw Nikola Jokic win against LeBron James and qualify for the first Finals of his career. Finals which he of course won brilliantly with the Nuggets.

However, make no mistake: the Serbian pivot did not wait for this accomplishment to assert himself as one of the best players in the league. He had already won two MVP titles and had five All-Star Game selections. His qualities as a scorer, but also as a passer, also allowed him to draw comparisons with LeBron, which one of his ex-teammates recently mentioned.

Thomas Bryant cashes on Nikola Jokic and LeBron James

Crowned NBA champion with Denver last year, Thomas Bryant took full advantage of his four months spent alongside Jokic. This, after having played the start of the 2022-23 season in the ranks… of the Lakers, where he therefore had the chance to evolve with James. Subject of a recent interview with Playmaker , the 26-year-old interior agreed to compare the two stars, highlighting their main difference:

 

 

They’re both very different because LeBron is constantly talking to you. The difference with Jokic is that Jokic is a great leader by example, but he is very discreet. Like, he still talks to you from time to time and he’s a lovely guy, but he’s not going to be the type to tell you, “Hey, you have to do this, you have to do that!” “. No, he is truly a leader who sets an example through his game.

Although he is much less talkative than LBJ, the Joker still knows how to rally his troops through his performances. However, don’t think that he doesn’t know how to use the right words to get his partners in his pocket. And Bryant continued:

He has confidence in all his teammates, which is rare for a player as talented as him. And he shows it often.

For example, he will tell you, “I don’t care if I lose 10 balls in a match, I will still try to do the right thing. » Just hearing that from a player like him, it triggers something in you. When you tell yourself that your best player is ready to lose the ball 10 times to serve you if you are open without it bothering him, that represents something powerful.

Certainly less vocal than LeBron James, Nikola Jokic nevertheless manages to unite his teammates around him by showing himself to be impeccable on the pitch. A different recipe, but one that bore fruit just last year.