Nikola Jokic is arguably the best player in the NBA, but he also might be the most nonchalant player in the NBA. 

He's been at the center of jokes for treating the NBA "like a day job" because of his calm and subdued reactions to the greatness on the basketball court that he produces, such as the time he was just ready to go home after winning the 2023 NBA Finals and seeming like he cares about his horses in Serbia more than his career. 

Jokic even added a new chapter in that joke log over All-Star Weekend, when he said he would rather have all his horses win races rather than win another MVP, of which he has three. 

But, despite his seeming lack of care when it comes to basketball, how he actually approaches his career behind closed doors shows just how dedicated he actually is to the sport that he so often dominates, even if he doesn't show it in the media. 

On that front, no one would know just how hard Jokic works more than his teammates, and Michael Porter Jr., who played with Jokic for six seasons before joining the Brooklyn Nets, was determined to set the record straight on Jokic when he appeared on an episode of The Old Man and the Three podcast. 

"They act like he [Jokic] doesn't care about basketball. Is he not one of the most disciplined, routine-oriented guys you've seen?" Porter Jr. said (via The Old Man and the Three). "This is no accident that he's this good. A lot of is natural skill, natural touch. But, that dude works hard."

Regardless of what his attitude might be, Jokic's impact on the court is undeniable. He's already won three MVPs and this season he's the NBA leader in both rebounds and assists per game while being seventh in the league in points per game.

He averaged a triple-double last season and he's on pace to do the same again this season and above all else, he's absolutely transformed the center position my making himself such an elite playmaker. 

But, to Porter Jr.'s point about Jokic's fitness and dedication to routine, his longevity and consistency stand out as well. Jokic has played in at least 70 games in all but one of his 10 NBA seasons and the setback he suffered earlier this season with a knee injury is a rare exception to his otherwise consistent health. 

No matter how much Jokic may seem like he'd rather be at home with his horses than on a NBA court, there's no denying that Jokic's dominance over the game of basketball comes from a place of dedication and care.