What about …
Slowly? Well, now we’re onto something. Here we find his special sauce.
It’s the speed at which he plays, or rather the lack of it, that sets him apart in the lightning fast NBA Jokic, the two-time most valuable player in the league, could write an instructional book on the game he played. to master: Basketball and the fine art of inertia.
This particular faculty is not just about sprint pace. Jokic can move in spurts quite quickly. It’s just as qualitative. When he’s on the field, whatever the conditions, he seems to be in control of time. He moves where he wants, when he wants, while every other player cuts across the field in a frenzy.
On Saturday night, as the Nuggets and Lakers starters gathered on the field of the Crypto.com Arena for the tip-off in Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals, it seemed like all the other players were jumping up and down or getting nervous. playing their uniform or chasing someone to high five.
Jokic just stood on center court, focused, waiting. It reminded me of something Jeff Van Gundy, the former NBA head coach who is now a television analyst for ESPN, told me before the game, describing the towering Serb. “He looks completely unflappable. Jokic is the epitome of John Wooden’s quote: ‘Be quick, don’t be in a hurry.’”
“He’s an absolute marvel,” Van Gundy added.
Wait, this man, a miracle? Jokic is muscular but barely ripped. It’s nearly 7 feet tall, weighs almost as much as a subzero refrigerator, and has arms that might as well be pterodactyl wings. He’s 28, still in the middle of his prime for physical prowess, but he might stumble trying to jump the Sunday paper.
