Nikola Jokic is generally viewed as one of the best basketball players in the game today, and rightfully so. Adding another layer to that is his loyalty to the Denver Nuggets and his plans to play his entire career with them. Now, it's on the Nuggets to build a team around the Joker worthy of him.
It's a story that gets brought up any time the conversation turns to Jokic's career. A center who has redefined the position was drafted 41st during a Taco Bell commercial. Even the Nuggets passed on him once in that draft, instead using their first-round pick on Doug McDermott of all players.
Now, the Joker is an NBA champion, an NBA Finals MVP, a three-time NBA Most Valuable Player, and an eight-time NBA All-Star. On top of all that, he's been named to the All-NBA First Team five times, the All-NBA Second Team twice, and was a member of the NBA All-Rookie First Team.
If that's not enough, Jokic's loyalty is without question. During a recent appearance on the Serbian podcast X's and O's, Nikola made it clear that he would rather never win another championship than leave the Nuggets. Denver seems to be as much a home to him as Sombor in Serbia.
The Nuggets need to show him the same level of loyalty
At the age of 31, Jokic is in his 11th season in the NBA. While he is ever-so-slightly on the wrong side of 30, Nikola still has several years of playing ahead of him. If he somehow taps into LeBron James' Fountain of Youth, he could be around the league for another decade.
Given how incredible a player Jokic is, it seems impossible that he's only won one NBA Championship in 11 seasons. That's because the Nuggets have not built the team around him he deserves. There are a few good players like Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon, but the depth just isn't there.
Outside of those two, only Christian Braun, Cam Johnson, Peyton Watson, and Tim Hardaway Jr. are significant contributors. And to win another title with Jokic on the roster, the Nuggets are going to need more firepower than that. Denver needs to get another superstar to run with Jokic and Murray.
Nikola's loyalty to the Nuggets is admirable and hard to come by in the modern NBA. But the Jokic era in the NBA cannot end with only one championship ring on his finger. Now is the time for big moves in the Mile High City.