James said what Jokic is doing to the rest of the NBA is not normal.

You know how exceptional a player is when the one and only LeBron James — a player who has seen it all in his 23 seasons in the NBA — seemingly can’t find the words to describe them. But that’s exactly how he feels about Denver Nuggets’ superstar Nikola Jokic.

In a recent conversation with fellow Steve Nash on the “Mind The Game” podcast, James was asked for his thoughts regarding the absolute dominance the Joker has displayed early in the season. He initially struggled to find the right words before finally settling on calling him the most “dominant, complete player” that he has ever faced on the basketball court.

There’s nothing the defense can do

Just when some people thought Jokic couldn’t get any better, he has silenced naysayers left and right with his stupendous play this season.

Averaging 29.6 points on 62.6 percent shooting, including 43.4 percent from beyond the arc, 12.8 rebounds and a league-best 11.1 assists per game, the Serbian superstar has been putting on a clinic, imposing his will on any defense he has faced so far.

In fact, there was a 10-game stretch this season when Jokic made 73.4 percent of his attempts — a stat that just blew James away.

“This is not like this is not like one of those guys back in the day like all dunks, you know, or all layups. No, this is this is everything. All three levels,” the King remarked.

Nash then put James on the spot by asking if Jokic is the best offensive player he’s ever faced. The four-time MVP took some time to ponder, considering he has taken on some of the league’s most prolific bucket-getters.

From the late, great Kobe Bryant to Stephen Curry to Kevin Durant, James had quite a list to choose from. But ultimately, he gave Jokic the nod.

“I will say this: There has not been a more dominant, complete player that I’ve played against in a sense of all the attributes that you just mentioned,” LeBron responded. “From the passing to the shooting to the rebounding to the attention. I mean, there’s nothing he cannot do on the offensive end. Like nothing at all. You know, you try to double him, he’s gonna make you pay. You try to play him single coverage, he’s gonna make you pay.”

The uniqueness of Jokic’s game

The big man position has evolved in different ways over the last few decades. Gone are the days when power forwards and centers are tasked with just setting screens, rebounding the ball, swatting shots away and scoring up close. These days, big men have the green light to do it all, from shooting from deep to threading the needle with precision passes.

Jokic, though, is not just on another level; he’s on a different planet.

“Sometimes he even brings the ball up the floor, they outlet the ball to him,” LeBron surmised. “I don’t know off the top of my head, there’s been a couple, but guys that a point guard will rebound the ball and outlet it to their center to push the break? That’s weird. That’s already weird. Like that lets you know how amazing this guy is.” 

Apart from the numbers Jokic is putting up nightly, what also stands out to James is how consistently excellent he has been, to the point where people think all that he’s accomplishing is routine. Make no mistake, what Jokic is doing on the court is far from ordinary.

“It just looks too easy. And he’s so damn good that people barely talk about it, right? It’s like, ‘Oh well, you know, like it’s just normal.’ This is not normal. It’s not normal what he’s doing, guys. I’m sorry. It’s not. It’s not. It’s not normal,” LeBron emphasized.

Nash concurred with James’ comments, saying, “He’s making a joke of the best in the world. I mean, it’s like he’s mastered the puzzle.”

Despite playing in his 11th season in the league, Jokic keeps getting better and better. And even if he can’t soar over defenders and dunk with authority like other stars in the league, his unique skillset and elite basketball IQ have allowed him to earn tremendous respect from his peers, including the King.