Is Nikola Jokic the Greatest Draft Pick in NBA History After Championship Triumph?

• Nikola Jokic is finally an NBA champion with the Denver Nuggets after they defeated Miami Heat
• He won the Finals MVP, and some consider him the greatest draft pick of all time
• Jokic was selected 41st overall in 2014 and remains arguably the best draft steal in NBA history

After decades of near misses, disappointments, and heartbreaks, the Denver Nuggets are NBA champions for the first time in 47 years.

That was made possible by the 41st pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, Nikola Jokic.

The versatility of the Serbian has allowed the Nuggets to slowly build a juggernaut. Jamal Murray missed all of last season with an ACL injury but made a spectacular return this season.

Jokic is a two-time regular season MVP and the 2023 NBA Finals MVP after they beat the Miami Heat in five games. Since they lifted the Larry O'Brien Trophy, there have been hundreds of narratives about where he stands in the all-time list among centers and international players.

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One notable thing that came up was that he is a second-round pick. No. 41, to be exact. Interestingly, he was selected during a Taco Bell commercial.

Is Jokic the greatest draft pick of all time?

The 2023 NBA Draft is fast approaching, and it is interesting to look back at how Jokic stamped his case as the best draft pick in NBA history.

He brought Denver their first-ever NBA title as the best player on the team. All the other great picks later in the second round have yet to accomplish what the Serb has.

At 28, he is an NBA champion; Finals MVP, two-time MVP, five-time All-Star, and five-time All-NBA which is something any player would dream of.

He's now on an exclusive list of players who've won two regular-season MVPs and at least one Finals MVP, namely:

Jokić, Tim Duncan, Stephen Curry, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Moses Malone, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, LeBron James, Wilt Chamberlain, Michael Jordan, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, per Bleacher Report.

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Most of those players are generational talents, making Jokic the greatest pick in NBA history, per CBS Sports.

Jokic vs. other draft steals

Manu Ginobili was picked at No. 57 in 1999 by the San Antonio Spurs. Still, he wasn't the best player on the team or even the second-best player. He won four NBA titles, got two All-Star selections, and won the 2008 Sixth Man of the Year award.

Draymond Green was selected 35th by the Golden State Warriors in 2012, per San Francisco Chronicle. He became one of the franchise's cornerstones, helping them end their title drought and establish themselves as one of the big boys in the league. He is considered one of the best defensive players of his generation.

Some names like Giannis Antetokounmpo (15th, 2013), Kawhi Leonard (15th, 2011), Kobe Bryant (13th, 1996), Tony Parker (28th, 2001), Marc Gasol (48th, 2007), Karl Malone (13th, 1985), Steve Nash (15th, 1996) are good shouts, but Jokic could accomplish more by the time he retires.

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Most of the Nuggets' supporting cast are just getting to their prime, meaning they could be a much better team in the next few seasons. It has been an incredible journey for Jokic, and he has a solid case for the best draft pick in the history of the NBA.

Shaq welcomes Jokic to exclusive club

Sports Brief earlier reported on Los Angeles Lakers legend Shaquille O'Neal welcoming Jokic to his list of all-time great NBA centers.

The list has NBA icons like Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell, O'Neal, Hakeem Olajuwon, and others.

Those centers won multiple NBA titles, MVPs, and Final MVPs.