For years, no one in the NBA has found a way to stop Nikola Jokic.
Some believe the best way to prevent him from dominating is by taking away his teammates.
Others argue that he has to be forced to pass over and over.
Whatever the case, he clearly can excel at both facets.
That’s why Tyrese Haliburton tipped his hat to him.
When asked about the Serbian superstar, Haliburton claimed that Jokic looks at the game like a puzzle (via NBA):
“A lot of times it’s hard to stop him,” he said. “He’s tough. He’s cold.”
"He looks at the game like a puzzle he can solve."
"A lot of times it's hard to stop him."
"He's tough. He's cold."
NBA players & coaches sound off about the brilliance of Jokić & SGA as the two faceoff TODAY at 1pm/et on ABC 🍿 pic.twitter.com/Rn2HYnuScq
— NBA (@NBA) March 9, 2025
Jokic is a unique player.
We had seen something similar with Arvydas Sabonis, but, unfortunately, he was banged up and past his prime when he finally made it to the NBA.
He’s laid the blueprint for the modern big man.
He’s the ultimate triple-threat player, and his ability to knock down shots from all three levels is only topped by his elite court vision and passing ability.
A player his size shouldn’t be able to do what he does with the ball in his hands, and he’s already one of the greatest playmakers this game has ever seen.
Whether he should have won as many MVPs as he has is for the people to debate, but it’s hard to find someone who’s been more impactful, consistent, unique, and difficult to stop than Jokic has been over the past five years or so.
He doesn’t want to be the face of the league, and sometimes it seems like he doesn’t even want to be there, but he’s the most unstoppable force in the game right now.
NEXT: Kevin Durant Reacts To Nikola Jokic's Historic Achievement