{"id":117839,"date":"2025-01-14T07:20:12","date_gmt":"2025-01-14T12:20:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=117839"},"modified":"2025-01-14T07:20:12","modified_gmt":"2025-01-14T12:20:12","slug":"jokic-westbrook-sets-up-thought-provoking-legacy-conversation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/01\/14\/jokic-westbrook-sets-up-thought-provoking-legacy-conversation\/","title":{"rendered":"Jokic-Westbrook Sets Up Thought-Provoking Legacy Conversation"},"content":{"rendered":"

Nikola Jokic<\/a> is already a basketball icon. He has won three MVP awards in four years, a Finals MVP, and a championship. These accolades place him in the conversation of all-time greats. Many, like Kevin Durant<\/a>, have claimed<\/a> Jokic is a top-10 player ever. However, this claim feels premature. While Jokic’s<\/a> brilliance is undeniable, his resume still lacks the volume of championships and accolades seen in the careers of established top-10 players. Winning in the NBA requires more than individual greatness. Injuries, coaching, roster construction, and front-office moves all play a significant role. For Jokic, his ability to elevate teammates makes him a unique star. However, the lack of elite talent around him has limited his opportunities to rack up more titles. Jokic and Russell Westbrook\u2019s<\/a> recent success together brings into focus this important legacy footnote.<\/p>\n

Jokic-Westbrook Tandem Sets Up Thought-Provoking Legacy Conversation<\/h2>\n

Jokic\u2019s Supporting Cast: A Stark Reality<\/h3>\n

Jokic has only played alongside eight All-Stars: Paul Millsap,<\/a> Devin Harris<\/a>, DeAndre Jordan,<\/a> DeMarcus Cousins<\/a>, Jameer Nelson<\/a>, Isaiah Thomas<\/a>, Roy Hibbert<\/a>, and Westbrook. None of these players were All-Stars during their time on the Denver Nuggets<\/a>. Westbrook, with multiple All-NBA First Team selections, is the most decorated teammate Jokic has had.<\/p>\n

By this stage of his career, most superstars would have played alongside at least 12<\/a> All-Stars. Jokic\u2019s dominance despite this disparity highlights his greatness. Yet, it also underscores how much more successful he could be with elite talent around him.<\/p>\n

Westbrook\u2019s Resurgence in Denver<\/h3>\n

Westbrook has brought new energy to Denver. His motor, intensity, and positive demeanor have revitalized his career and enhanced Jokic\u2019s legacy. Critics have labeled Westbrook as a selfish player and a stat padder, but his fit with Jokic proves otherwise.<\/p>\n

Over the past four games, Westbrook scored<\/a> 20 or more points three times on efficient shooting. His performances have contributed to a 3-1 stretch for the Nuggets, who now sit fourth<\/a> in the Western Conference. Westbrook\u2019s partnership with Jokic showcases how elite players can thrive together.<\/p>\n

Historic Feats: Jokic and Westbrook\u2019s Triple-Doubles<\/h3>\n

The chemistry between Jokic and Westbrook reached historic heights in the Nuggets\u2019 recent win<\/a> over the Brooklyn Nets<\/a>. Both recorded<\/a> triple-doubles, marking the second time they achieved this feat in the same game this season.<\/p>\n

Jokic tallied 35 points, 15 assists, and 12 rebounds. Westbrook contributed 25 points, 10 assists, and 11 rebounds. They also became the second duo to achieve 25-point triple-doubles in the same game, joining Jokic and Jamal Murray<\/a> from the 2023 Finals. These performances underline the transformative impact Westbrook has had on the Nuggets.<\/p>\n

Jokic\u2019s Legacy: What Comes Next?<\/h3>\n

Jokic\u2019s brilliance raises questions about his legacy. Despite limited help from All-Star teammates, he continues to dominate. Imagine Jokic with a prime Westbrook<\/a> or another All-NBA-caliber player. Such pairings would elevate Jokic\u2019s legacy to untouchable heights.<\/p>\n

For now, the Jokic-Westbrook tandem is a reminder of what could be. Their partnership provides a glimpse of Jokic\u2019s potential when paired with elite talent. As Jokic continues to chase more titles and accolades, his legacy remains a work in progress. But one thing is clear: he has already cemented his place among the NBA\u2019s all-time greats.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Nikola Jokic is already a basketball icon. He has won three MVP awards in four years, a Finals MVP, and a championship. These accolades place him in the conversation of all-time greats. Many, like Kevin Durant, have claimed Jokic is a top-10 player ever. However, this claim feels premature. While Jokic’s brilliance is undeniable, his […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5018,"featured_media":117843,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[62,1608,20],"tags":[49979,1946,228,143,49946,171,109,328,69,639,4053,1061,564,563,72,153,284,53],"class_list":["post-117839","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nba","category-basketball","category-nuggets","tag-2024-25-nba-season","tag-all-nba","tag-deandre-jordan","tag-demarcus-cousins","tag-devin-harris","tag-isaiah-thomas","tag-jamal-murray","tag-jameer-nelson","tag-kevin-durant","tag-nba-all-star","tag-nba-champion","tag-nba-finals-mvp","tag-nba-mvp","tag-nba-western-conference","tag-nikola-jokic","tag-paul-millsap","tag-roy-hibbert","tag-russell-westbrook"],"modified_by":"Frederick Okocha","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/117839","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5018"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=117839"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/117839\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":117855,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/117839\/revisions\/117855"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/117843"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=117839"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=117839"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=117839"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}