Watch: "I call him baby Jokić!" – Kendrick Perkins hypes up 10-year old son Kenxton Perkins after school highlights gain traction on Twitter
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokić has received immense praise this season for his performances, and the latest to pay him a compliment is former Boston Celtics player Kendrick Perkins.
Perkins, who helped Boston to the 2008 NBA title, took to Twitter to share a video of his 10-year-old son playing basketball with a caption that called him baby Jokic. Perkins said:
"I’m raising my Killa different! I call him baby Jokic! The Complete package. Yes he’s only 10. Carry on…"
Perkins calling his son "baby Jokic" is a testament to the greatness of the Serbian and the performances the reigning MVP has been putting in for the Nuggets over the last several years.
Kendrick Perkins, who played center for 14 seasons, played with Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett in 2007-08, when Boston beat the Kobe Bryant-led LA Lakers in the NBA Finals. Perkins has also played alongside LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.
I’m raising my Killa different! I call him baby Jokic! The Complete package. Yes he’s only 10. Carry on… twitter.com/takemytalent/s…
Is Nikola Jokić an MVP candidate this season?
Widely considered to be the best big man in basketball right now, Nikola Jokić has been a man on a mission for the Denver Nuggets this season. With key players like Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. sidelined by injuries, the onus has been on him to carry this team, and that is what he has done.
Jokić averages 25.3 points, 13.9 rebounds and 7.4 assists while shooting better than 56% (nearly 36% from beyond the arc). He has also recorded nine triple-doubles and a whopping 32 double-doubles.
Nikola Jokic has his 2nd career game with at least 20 points, 20 rebounds and 10 assists.
That matches Fat Lever for the most by a Nuggets player since they joined the NBA in 1976. https://t.co/OoipoGGtz6
The reigning MVP of the league, the Serbian has put his name in the conversation for the prestigious award this season. The only hindrance to his case is the team record, which has historically been a huge aspect of the MVP voting. The Nuggets (22-20) are sixth in the Western Conference, six games behind the fourth-place Utah Jazz.
While defensive deficiencies clearly exist with the center, the offensive impetus he brings more than makes up for his defense. Arguably the best passer in the league barring LeBron James and Chris Paul, he has the innate ability to get his teammates in the game and set them up with open shots.
If the Nuggets can clinch the fourth seed in the West, then the chances of Jokić winning the MVP award go through the roof. No wonder Kendrick Perkins wants his son to grow up to be the second coming off Jokić.