"He's not athletic, I'm not athletic" - Nikola Jokic jokes about his and fellow European sensation Luka Doncic's fitness ahead of the NBA All-Star game
Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic will be teaming up for Team LeBron in this year's NBA All-Star game. The European duo have always gelled well with each other off the court and have displayed their strong bond during the entire All-Star Weekend in Cleveland so far.
Jokic was asked about his views on having Doncic as a teammate ahead of Saturday's All-Star game practice session. The Nuggets star believes they have an excellent relationship off the court, but it remains to be seen how well they can play together as they are both not as athletic.
"Off the court, I think we're doing really good job. But we're going to see on the court. I don't know how we're going to do it b/c he's not athletic, I'm not athletic, so I don't know how we're going to match," said Jokic (via Mike Singer).
Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic play at center and point guard, respectively, but have identical playing styles in several ways. Both are terrific passers and rebounders and are also capable of leading the scoring charts. They also produce double-doubles and triple-doubles frequently due to their all-around ability.
They would likely end up dominating opponents with ease due to their high-IQ plays if they were to ever play together in the NBA. Until then, fans can assess their on-court chemistry on Sunday when they take to the court for Team LeBron against Team Durant.
Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic display their 'bromance' at the 2022 NBA All-Star weekend
Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic were in the limelight during Saturday's All-Star game practice session and press conference. They were even seated next to each other during media availability and took full advantage of that opportunity to mess with each other.
Nikola Jokic: *throws ball at Luka*
Luka Doncic: "Can I sue him?" 🤣
https://t.co/RuwvRrtFv0
Luka & The Joker are comedy 🤣
#NBAAllStar https://t.co/dftDOrFOMl
Doncic and Jokic have been producing MVP-caliber numbers yet again this season. The former is averaging 27.5 points, 9.2 rebounds and nine assists per game, while the latter has tallied 26 points, 13.8 rebounds and 7.9 assists per contest.
Both players are the only All-Stars on their respective rosters this season. Luka Doncic's Mavericks are 35-24 for the season, while Nikola Jokic's Nuggets are 33-25, seeded sixth in the Western Conference, just one spot behind the Mavs.
There is a great possibility that the two talented European stars may go head-to-head in the playoffs this year. The potential contest will be enticing to watch as they have never squared off against each other in a high-stakes game before.