After the Denver Nuggets won Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope said the only difference between NBA superstars Nikola Jokic and LeBron James is that James can jump higher than Jokic.
When Jokic was told by a reporter what Caldwell-Pope said, the two-time MVP had a funny reaction before praising James.
“I mean, to be compared to one of the best ever, or the best ever, I think it’s really cool,” Jokic said. “But I don’t know, I think we don’t have a similar game. Maybe we have a similar global game if that makes any sense. We affect the game in different ways. But he’s a really good player.”
NBA NEWS & PLAYOFFS: Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets, LeBron James & Los Angeles Lakers Updates
Jokic and James are two of the greatest players in NBA history. Both MVPs can score, rebound and pass at a high level and make their teammates better due to their unselfish play. Jokic had 34 points, 21 rebounds, and 14 assists in Game 1, while James put up 26 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists. The Nuggets beat the Lakers by a final score of 132-126 to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.
Jokic is looking to win his first NBA championship, while James is trying to win his fifth title and second ring with the Lakers. Game 2 of this series will be an interesting one since the Lakers haven’t lost two games in a row in the playoffs and the Nuggets are undefeated at home.
James, 38, is averaging 23.6 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 5.6 assists in the playoffs. Meanwhile, Jokic is putting up 31.0 points, 13.5 rebounds, and 10.1 assists per game.
NBA NEWS & PLAYOFFS: Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets, LeBron James & Los Angeles Lakers Updates
The two future Hall of Famers faced each other in the 2020 Western Conference Finals at the Walt Disney World bubble, a series the Lakers won in five games. Jokic has taken his game to another level since 2020, which is why many pundits believe the Nuggets will win this series.
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