Nikola Jokic gave candid answers about the MVP race, LeBron James’ longevity and the NBA’s global growth during his press conference Saturday, a day before the 2026 NBA All-Star Game at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.
The Denver Nuggets center, who has carried his club to a 35-20 record and third place in the Western Conference entering the break, covered a wide range of topics in a relaxed atmosphere.
Asked about Boston Celtics forward Jaylen Brown’s MVP candidacy, Jokic said: “Yes. Yes, I mean, obviously I don’t think he has a partner in crime, but he’s still proving that he can lead the team and he’s playing at a high level by scoring the ball.”
He added, “And he’s such a good defensive player, too. So he plays on both ends of the floor. And like I said, I think the versatility of him is that he can play on both ends of the court and still score and still be dominant and still be in the top three. I think they’re in the top three in the East. So, you know, he’s a really good player.”
Boston enters All-Star weekend at 35-19, third in the East, with Brown as the focal point on both ends.
When presented with a lighthearted hypothesis about the choice between winning MVP every season or letting his horses win every race, Jokic didn’t hesitate.
“All three horses win the race, brother,” he said.
The Serbian star also offered his Mount Rushmore of international NBA players.
“All-time international player in the NBA. Dirk. Oh my God. Wait. International. Who’s international? Dirk. I’m going to mention Manu Ginobili and Giannis,” he began.
After reconsidering, he continued: “Actually, I’m not going to put Giannis. So it’s Dirk, Manu, Hakeem.”
He then added more names. “I’m obviously missing someone, but after maybe post-career Tony Parker, that’s a good bet. A few championships. Yeah, Finals MVP. I’m going to put him in too. Oh, Paul Gasol. Paul Gasol. That’s five.”
With the competition adopting a USA-World round-robin format this year, Jokic downplayed any change in his approach.
“I guess we’ll see tomorrow. For me, I’m going to play like I played every year,” he said. “I’m not sure it will light my fire again. No, because I play every game the same way.”
On the competitive dynamic, he added: “I think it will be competitive in some way. I think Europeans will probably pass the ball a lot and have fun. OG will probably win and the third team will probably dunk most of the time.”
Jokic also reflected on LeBron James’ appearance in his 22nd All-Star Game.
“I mean, I just mean you can see how many players can’t stay healthy and can’t stay in the league that long,” he said. “I think I’ve been in this league for so long and I’m going to say that, you know, he’s still one of the best players in the league, even at this stage of his career.”
He added: “I think it’s impressive to see someone who has been doing that for 22 years. I think we might not see that now, but after he retires or stops playing, I think we’ll admire it even more.”
The 75th edition of the All-Star Game begins Sunday evening with a new format and a familiar presence in the middle.
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