The NBA season is officially underway, and several of the league's biggest stars are already putting on a show, making their early-season cases for MVP honors. While it's still far too early for those discussions, NBA legend and current analyst Charles Barkley already knows who he believes is the best player in the world.
During Wednesday night's “NBA Tip-Off” on ESPN alongside Shaquille O'Neal, Ernie Johnson, and Kenny Smith, Barkley declared that the best player in the world is none other than three-time MVP and Denver Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic.
"What the Joker is doing… you know, the one thing about sports is we're just taking this dude for granted, man. He is the best basketball player in the world," Barkley said. "He just goes out there and gets easy triple-doubles - like 25, 16, and 17."
Barkley also came to Jokic’s defense after O'Neal challenged his take, suggesting that San Antonio Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama deserved to be mentioned in the same conversation as Jokic right now.
"You don't want to give Joker no credit because you compare him to you," Barkley fired back at O'Neal across the desk. "Joker would've killed you - taken you out to the three-point line and dotted your eye with them threes."
Jokić is coming off a dominant performance Tuesday night against the Sacramento Kings, posting 35 points, 15 rebounds, and seven assists. This season, he's averaging 26.2 points, 13.2 rebounds, and 11.4 assists per game while shooting an impressive 66.9% from the field and 35.7% from beyond the arc.
Since entering the league as a late second-round pick in 2014, Jokić has transformed into a seven-time All-Star, a 2023 NBA champion, a seven-time All-NBA selection, and, as mentioned, a three-time MVP.
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