Sport expert Jason Whitlock believes that Nikola Jokic’s rise can be detrimental: ‘He’s well aware that the NBA isn’t all that important’

American sports columnist and podcaster Jason Whitlock feels that the Nuggets‘ NBA championship “hit different” this year because he believes that Nikola Jokic‘s rise to stardom could affect the league negatively. According to the journalist, the Serbian’s lack of celebration brings down the value of the biggest accomplishment in US basketball. 

During the latest episode of his own podcast “Fearless”, Whitlock explained how Jokic’s unconcerned attitude when winning takes all the fun and competitiveness out of the sport.

“I’m not knocking Nikola Jokic; he strikes me as humble, well-intentioned, and rational,” he started out. “He also strikes me as someone well aware that the NBA isn’t all that important; that’s not good for American basketball. Passion permits fanaticism, and fanaticism drives interest in the game. Despite the best efforts of ESPN and FOX Sports 1 debate shows, the NBA is a lot less interesting than it used to be. Globalism is partially to blame.”

If you’re interested in watching the full show of Whitlock’s podcast, click on the video below:

But, why does he blame globalism? According to the recognized columnist, the rise of international athletes in the league has been “diminishing and diluting everything it touches.” This means that reaching the biggest achievement in the NBA is somehow meaning less and less to these players who come from abroad, which is a bad look for the NBA.

As Whitlock explained, he doesn’t have anything against the Denver player, as he considers it a rational thought to understand that “the NBA isn’t all that important”. Because it is true, it’s not life and death, it’s a sport. There’s no doubt that the Serbian comes from a different breed of superstars.

“Nikola Jokic’s Finals MVP and championship hits different, meaning they did not feel nearly as important as his predecessors’ crowning achievements. That’s not intended as a knock on the Serbian superstar, who has cured his first title. It’s a knock on the NBA and Nike’s 30-year global mission,” he said.

If compared to other past league winners, this last championship win was the most nonchalant of them all

For Jokic, playing in the NBA just feels like his normal 9 to 5 job. It’s almost as if he’s done with training or an official match, and he can finally dedicate his time to what truly inspires him. It’s a bit weird, right? I mean, we are talking about the Olympus of US basketball here!

Let’s remember Kevin Garnett yelling “Anything is possible!” right after he won his first-and-only NBA title back in 2008. That was passionate! However, the Serbian big man was never seen hugging the Larry O’Brien trophy in tears of joy, nor relief.

“Jokic spent more time hunting down Heat players to acknowledge and console them rather than reveling in what his dominance created,” Whitlock said about the moment the final buzzer went off and the Nuggets had earned their first-ever NBA title.

Whitlock’s take is defintely interesting, especially considering that Jokic is still young and could dominate the basketball league for years to come. Will his impact truly affect the NBA’s importance?