Nikola Jokic is impressed by LeBron James' longevity.
This All-Star weekend is the NBA-record 22nd of LeBron James' career and while he's continued to impress fans and the media with his longevity and his continued production, his fellow All-Stars may be in even more awe of the Los Angeles Lakers' superstar.
James has been in the league for 23 seasons, an NBA record, and he's still a key player in the Lakers lineup. His longevity allowed him to set yet another record when he became the oldest player in NBA history at 41 to record a triple-double on Thursday.
So much time spent in the league means that some of the All-Stars he's playing with this weekend grew up watching him play, and his fellow All-Star Nikola Jokic can't help but marvel at what James has been able to accomplish.
United States guard Lebron James (6) and Serbia power forward Nikola Jokic (15) before a game against Serbia during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Stade Pierre-Mauroy. John David Mercer-Imagn ImagesJokic Praises LeBron
"Pretty cool seeing the numbers. He is still one of the best players in the league even in this stage of his career. He's still making a change on the floor when he gets in," Jokic said (via Lakers Nation). "It's impressive and definitely we all should admire that."
Jokic added that it may take James' eventual retirement for everyone across the league to fully appreciate what he's been able to accomplish across two-plus decades and still accomplish as the oldest active player in the league.
This season's All-Star festivities are a celebration of the some of the old guard like James. His designated USA All-Star team, USA Stripes, includes players like Kevin Durant, Steph Curry and Kawhi Leonard.
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) controls the ball under pressure from Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) in the first quarter during game five of the first round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at Ball Arena. Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn ImagesWhile none of these players may be even close to James in age and are in fact part of the next generation of stars after him, they all belong together in the collective memories of current NBA fans as part of the same era of exhilarating basketball.
One Generation to Another
Jokic's praise of James is special on another level. James is undoubtedly the best player of his generation and arguably the best player ever while Jokic stands out as arguably the best player of his generation as well.
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) drives against Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) during the first quarter in game four of the first round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at Crypto.com Arena. Jason Parkhurst-Imagn ImagesWhen all is said and done, Jokic himself may have am argument for being the best player the game has ever seen and could see himself in conversations like that next to James when his own career is finished.
The praise he laid on James can be seen as both an acknowledgement from one star to another and it can be seen as a sort of passing of the torch between one generation of NBA star to the next.