[Source](https://twitter.com/nikolaesthetic/status/1760679250733183346)
Funny story. I honestly didn’t even realize Duncan and Jokic’s careers overlapped. I found this quote from Jokic from last year talking about that matchup
> “I remember when he played against me, he was a little bit older, but he still gave me the easiest 20 points ever in life probably,” Jokic said at the 2023 NBA Finals Media Day.
> The game Jokic is referring to was on April 8, 2016, at Denver.
> Duncan was in his final NBA season but even at 40 years old that didn’t stop him from scoring 21 points, grabbing seven rebounds, and handing out two assists in 34 minutes versus Jokic.
> “He always had a counter, but he was so patient,” he said.
Jokic showing some respect to the GOAT PF
by VagabondReborn
34 Comments
Jokic would cook
Don’t you dare pit my two favorite recent players against each other in ur tóxico ways Reddit
Duncan translation: you must be out of your mind
Why would Richard Jefferson say something that stupid?
While we’re on this subject:
Who’s the better theoretical Jokic defender: Tim Duncan or Hakeem Olajuwon?
Jokic plays an old-school back to the basket game for a lot of his scoring so I think you’d pick the best defensive bigs from an era where that was common to match up against him
The best defenders of this era like AD and Gobert don’t really have the strength
That was bait and Timmy handled it like the PF GOAT that he is.
> I played him after I was me and before he was him
Nikola Jokic is him confirmed
Tim Duncan made 8 1st teams in his first 8 seasons
>“I remember when he played against me, he was a little bit older, but he still gave me the easiest 20 points ever in life probably,” Jokic said at the 2023 NBA Finals Media Day.
>The game Jokic is referring to was on April 8, 2016, at Denver.
Watching [Duncan’s highlights from that game](https://thehighlow.io/video/games/nba/2015-16/21501186?videoType=high&playerId=1495), he mostly scored on Nurkic.
Jokic mostly guarded David West.
He would absolutely cook the both of you. However prime spurs with a well built team is one of the few teams I could see game planning jokic effectively like they did with the heat.
I’m not surprised Tim feels that way, no way anyone that good doesn’t have pride about what they do. I like retired players interviews, especially ones with guys who didn’t talk a lot while they played.
Jokic would cook Duncan though.
Let’s not forget Duncan battled against, and won against some of the best players of all time. Not to mention he’s considered the goat PF to many. Click-bait culture has become so exhausting
Man so many of yall are lost on the fact that RJ and Tim are great friends. It’s not that serious
“after I was me” does he mean after he left his prime?
Man, I miss Timmy. One of the all time greats.
Really wish that RJ could be the next generation TNT crew.
You mean Tim “3rd best player of all time” Duncan?
This is like the basketball equivalent of “if a tree falls in the woods and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?”.
I’m a huge Jokic homer, and even I know that it’s going to be a tall task for him to catch up to Duncan all-time, not to mention that coach Malone definitely isn’t a Popovich.
List of players with: 15+ All-Star nods, 15+ All-NBA’s, 15+ All-Defensive:
Tim Duncan
/end of list
Duncan is a top 5 all time player and he’s better than any player this century not named Lebron
I am not saying RJ is right but I feel like old duncan was closer to his defensive prime than young jokic to his current offensive skill
This stuff always cracks me up because Jokic 1-on-1 game while offensively still very good is by far not his biggest attribute.
Nobody out there is picking Jokic because he is going to lock up the opposite center while dropping 60.
The dude wins by doing all the right things and making everyone around him better. If you give him a favorable matchup he’ll take advantage of it. If you don’t he’ll find it. If he doesn’t find it he will find someone else that will.
You’re telling me Richard Jefferson was wrong? STUNNING
Nah we don’t tolerate Duncan slander round these parts!
Can Richard Jefferson and Stephen Jackson just shut the fuck up already. Coattail riders.
Tim Duncan is literally one Ray Allen 3 pointer away from tying Mike’s Finals record of 6 wins
it’s fucking criminal how disrespected he is
Duncan was a top level 2 way player, Jokic isn’t good enough on defense to stop him
what does duncan do better than jokic? cant think of a single thing…
Richard Jefferson has always hated on Tim Duncan. I don’t know what the deal is with him. RJ always comes off looking like a little bitch about it. Maybe when they played together there was friction. Maybe it’s because RJ was a fantastic athlete who underachieved while Duncan is an all time great.
I’ve screamed from the mountaintops that if Tim Duncan had charisma like Kobe he’d been one of the most celebrated athletes of the “Kobe” era.
Sadly though he’s going to be relegated to that “….**did you know Tim Duncan was that damn good???**” section of professional sports since he didn’t have the commercials and glitz/glam.
Duncan and Joker are absolute beacons of class in the trashy cesspool that is off-court ~~WWE~~ NBA trash talking.
I agree with Duncan, who was one of the best big men ever on both sides of the ball. Prime Duncan would certainly not get “cooked” by Jokic on offense or defense.
Jokic’s greatness doesn’t revolve around dominating individual matchups like previous big men like KAJ, Shaq, Hakeem, Duncan etc.
Instead its from his scoring versatility and ability to control the game like a pg from the center position.
Similar to how Magic revolutionize the PG position, Jokic is doing the same for the center position.