Star Wars Day: NBA stars and their Star Wars counterparts

NBA stars and their Star Wars counterparts: Nikola Jokic = Finn

By the middle of the movie The Force Awakens, we now understand a little about Finn, an ex-stormtrooper who seems innocent and likable but also has a surprising amount of skill. Over the course of the sequel trilogy an inner steel emerges, and by the final movie he works hard to unify and bring together everyone the Resistance needs to win the day.

Nikola Jokic was a likable, even pudgy youth when he entered the league, yet he unifies his teammates through his passing, humility and leadership. Just as it was hard to tell is Finn had a place among Jedi and ace pilots, it was hard to tell if the defensively-challenged Jokic had a place in the NBA. Yet now he is the MVP frontrunner on a team that made it to the Conference Finals last year.

Finn shows he is incredibly capable by the final film of the trilogy, and in doing so you realize how valuable he has been all along. Yes, Jokic has struggled defensively, but he also deters shots, avoids fouls and gobbles up rebounds, all things that do help on defense. And offensively he has been there all along, leading out in an offensive system that brings everyone together and maximizes their gifts, and not just his own.