Nikola Jokić: From Taco Bell Commercial to Top 10 All-Time? The Case for Basketball’s Most Unlikely Genius

Nikola Jokić has become so consistently dominant, so quietly brilliant, that the NBA world may be taking him for granted. For half a decade, he’s been in the MVP conversation, rewriting the rules for what a center can be and what greatness looks like. As Jokić racks up numbers that belong next to legends like Michael Jordan, LeBron James, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the question is no longer whether he’s great—it’s whether he’s already one of the ten greatest players to ever touch a basketball.

How did a 41st pick, drafted during a Taco Bell commercial, become the statistical and strategic engine of the league? And what does it mean for the future of basketball?

The Unlikely Origin Story

Jokić’s rise defies every expectation. No hype, no spotlight, no ESPN breakdowns on draft night. When Denver selected him 41st overall, the moment was literally overshadowed by a fast-food ad. But the moment Jokić got real playing time, everything changed for the Nuggets.

Denver, long a franchise without a superstar, suddenly played with rhythm, flow, and spacing. At the center of it all was a player who looked more likely to be rolling out of bed than dominating on the court. His rookie flashes were subtle—a clever touch here, a no-look pass there, a read nobody else saw. By his third year, the numbers became impossible to ignore: elite efficiency, elite passing, elite impact, and a style of play the NBA had never seen before.

Reinventing the Center Position

Centers have traditionally been rim protectors, low-post scorers, or rebounding machines. Jokić became something entirely new: a point center, a floor general, a 7-foot offensive engine with the passing vision of an elite guard and the scoring touch of a superstar.

The league has seen dominant bigs before—Shaq’s power, Hakeem’s footwork, Kareem’s skyhook. But nobody, and we mean nobody, has ever combined Jokić’s full package of skills in one player. He’s genuinely absurd in ways that seem designed in a laboratory. His soft touch makes every shot near the rim look effortless. His one-handed push shots are automatic. His flip shots are money. His awkward angles drop as if he’s programmed to make them.

And then there’s the passing. This isn’t just elite passing—it’s mind-reading at the highest level. Jokić throws passes before his teammates even realize they’re open. Backdoor cuts become automatic points. Shooters get perfect, in-rhythm kickouts. Defenders are embarrassed by passes that shouldn’t even exist physically. He sees the floor like a point guard, but with the size of a center, creating advantages nobody can match.

His footwork is slow, yes, but predictable never. He lures defenders just one inch off balance, then spins, bumps, or fakes for the easiest shot in the world. His strength is cartoon-level as he casually moves 260-pound men like folding chairs. His mid-range touch is elite, his three-point shot reliable when needed, and his free throws consistent.

The Skill Set That Shouldn’t Exist

What’s truly remarkable is that none of this relies on freakish athleticism that can decline with age. Jokić plays the game like he’s unlocked a chessboard nobody else knows how to see. He’s not beating opponents with speed or vertical leap. He’s beating them with calculation, timing, precision, and feel.

Watching him play, it doesn’t feel fair. It feels like he sees the game two seconds earlier than everyone else, operating on a different timeline that allows him to make decisions before defenses can react. He’s not just talented—he’s redefining what talent means.

The Numbers: Historic Statistical Dominance

Now, let’s look at Jokić through the numbers, because the numbers tell a story the eye test can barely keep up with.

Three-time MVP (and nearly five-time)
NBA Champion and Finals MVP
Multiple seasons averaging 27/12/9
Multiple seasons over 60% shooting
Multiple years leading the league in advanced metrics

Then it gets even crazier with triple-doubles. Jokić has recorded more triple-doubles as a center than any player in NBA history. He has more triple-doubles than most guards in the league. He has more 30-point triple-doubles than entire franchises have in their history.

But the efficiency is what truly sets him apart. He is the only center in NBA history to average 25+ points, 10+ rebounds, 8+ assists on 55% shooting. Nobody else has ever done it—not Wilt, not Hakeem, not Shaq. Nobody in the 75-year history of the league.

His on-off impact is staggering. When Jokić plays, the Nuggets outscore teams by double digits. When he sits, Denver collapses. This pattern has been consistent for years.

Advanced Metrics: The Case for All-Time Greatness

Advanced stats are where things get completely insane. Win shares, VORP, box plus-minus, EPM, on-off net rating—Jokić ranks number one or two in almost every category across multiple seasons. These are numbers that place him next to Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Wilt Chamberlain in statistical impact.

He’s not just great at basketball. He’s not just dominant in his era. He’s putting together one of the greatest statistical peaks in the history of professional basketball, period.

But numbers alone don’t make someone top 10 all-time. Impact does. And that’s where Jokić becomes genuinely terrifying for opponents.

Impact: The Puppeteer of Modern Basketball

There are superstars who dominate games, stars who take over in crucial moments, legends who carry their teams. But Jokić controls games like a puppeteer pulling strings. He dictates pace, tempo, spacing, flow, timing—everything about how basketball is played when he’s on the court.

But to truly assess Jokić’s place among the all-time greats, we need to look beyond regular season impact and examine the one thing that separates legends from everyone else: winning at the highest level.

The 2023 Championship Run: Dominance Redefined

In 2023, everything changed for Jokić’s legacy as the Nuggets stormed through the playoffs with ruthless efficiency. They went 4-1 versus the Timberwolves, 4-2 versus the Suns, 4-0 versus the Lakers, and 4-1 versus the Heat. They didn’t just win—they dominated every series.

Jokić delivered one of the greatest playoff runs in NBA history, averaging 30+ points, 13.5 rebounds, 9.5 assists on 54% field goal shooting and 46% from three. These numbers are not just great—they’re PlayStation numbers that shouldn’t be possible against elite playoff defenses.

In the Finals, he dismantled Miami from every conceivable angle: handoffs, post-ups, pick-and-rolls, kickouts, push shots, mid-range, backdoor reads. Every adjustment Miami made, Jokić already knew the counter before they implemented it. He became the first player ever to lead the playoffs in points, rebounds, and assists simultaneously. And the scary part is, he made it look easy.

No screaming, no flexing, no taunting—just controlled dominance possession after possession. That Finals run removed all doubt about his greatness permanently. He wasn’t just a stat monster who dominated regular seasons. He was a champion, the best player on a championship team, the driving force behind a title run that mirrored what the all-time greats accomplished.

Supporting Cast: The Perfect Fit

A championship run doesn’t happen alone. Jamal Murray’s pick-and-roll chemistry with Jokić is the best in basketball, generating over 1.15 points per possession last season. Aaron Gordon does all the dirty work, converting over 74% of his shots at the rim, many directly from Jokić passes. Michael Porter Jr. spaces the floor, hitting over 40% from three on high volume. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope guards the toughest perimeter threats while hitting 42% from three in the postseason.

Together, they form a unit built perfectly around Jokić. But even with an elite supporting cast, what separates him is something beyond talent or teamwork.

Basketball IQ: Genius at Work

Jokić’s basketball IQ isn’t just high—it’s genuinely unreal. He reads the game like he’s already watched the possession twice before it happens. Coaches and players are consistently shocked by how he angles screens, manipulates defenders, chooses when to post up, and pushes pace. Every decision feels calculated, like the ball is an extension of his brain.

He anticipates instead of reacting. He sees backdoor cuts before they open, recognizes mismatches instantly, knows where shooters will be without looking, and throws passes nobody else would dare attempt because he’s already accounted for every variable. And on top of that, he makes the right play every single time—not the flashy play for highlights, but the correct one that wins possessions.

That’s why he almost never looks rushed or panicked. He’s always one step ahead, forcing defenders to play catch-up the entire game. Watching him is like watching an AI that learned basketball by running simulations a million times.

The Separator: Skill, IQ, and Feel

Basketball IQ is often the separator between great players and all-time players. And when it comes to IQ, Jokić is in a class with LeBron, Magic, Bird, and Chris Paul. That’s Mount Rushmore territory for basketball intelligence. But IQ alone doesn’t make someone top 10 all-time. Dominance does—and Jokić has entered a category only legends occupy.

The NBA has always celebrated freakish athletes—LeBron’s power, Giannis’ explosiveness, Steph’s speed, KD’s length, Wembanyama’s alien mobility. But Jokić breaks the rulebook completely. He does none of that and still dominates every possession. He’s the slowest superstar in the league and simultaneously the most effective.

Defenders know exactly what he wants to do and still can’t stop it. He beats elite bigs with angles, leverage, strength, positioning, and touch. He’s mastered the sport at its purest level: skill plus IQ plus feel—the most unstoppable combination in basketball because those traits don’t decline like athleticism does.

The Legacy Question: Top 10 All-Time?

So here we stand. Nikola Jokić was drafted 41st during a Taco Bell commercial and now puts up numbers that match Jordan, LeBron, and Kareem. He’s the only center ever to average 25/10/8 on 55% shooting. He delivered one of the greatest playoff runs in history, winning a championship and Finals MVP. His basketball IQ operates at a level we’ve never witnessed before.

Now, here’s the real question: If Jokić wins one more championship and one more MVP within the next three years, does he automatically crack your top 10 all-time? Or does he need even more hardware to reach that level?

Conclusion: The Debate That Defines His Legacy

Jokić’s legacy is still being written, but his impact is undeniable. If you think he’s already top 10, you’re not alone. If you need more rings, the next few seasons will be must-watch. What’s clear is that we are witnessing a player who redefines what greatness looks like—one chess move, one pass, one quiet moment of genius at a time.

Drop your honest answer below. Is Nikola Jokić already top 10 all-time, or does he still have more to prove? Whatever your answer, remember: we may be watching the most unlikely genius in basketball history, and we shouldn’t take a second of it for granted.