There is no work ethic/obsessed/drive narrative around Jokic

Post #21 » by **G R E Y** » Fri May 13, 2022 2:56 pm

Plus he has a dry sense of humour and approach to / POV on life that doesn't fit into that obsessed athlete mold which is on the one hand refreshing and on the other makes some question whether he has 'it'.

He was called out for being out of shape, came back lean and won b2b MVPs.

He backed out of national team commitments because of fatigue knowing what it meant for and in his country.

I think he knows full well what his priorities are and makes the difficult but necessary decisions for what's best for his career. It's not based on outside narratives or trying to fit into them whatsoever. Refreshing.

Infinite Llamas · Post #22 » by **Infinite Llamas** » Fri May 13, 2022 2:59 pm

KembaWalker wrote:probably why he cant put a real postseason run together outside a rested bubble

Green font isn’t hard to do on this forum. No excuses.

Peregrine01 · Post #23 » by **Peregrine01** » Fri May 13, 2022 3:03 pm

There's not much in the media at all about Jokic. But you don't become back-to-back MVPs without work ethic. You don't play every season while never missing significant time without work ethic.

Also, it isn't entirely work ethic that he is who he is. Jokic is actually a physical marvel. He's far from that in the sense of running fast and jumping high of course, but the guy has some of the best coordination, vision, balance, hands and footwork we've ever seen and all in a 7 foot package who's built like a brick house. These skills and athletic attributes aren't all developed...a lot of it is God-given.

AleksandarN · Post #24 » by **AleksandarN** » Fri May 13, 2022 3:10 pm

Work ethic? Really? All his teammates rave about him putting in more work than anyone on the team. He works out after games etc

Cubbies2120 · Post #25 » by **Cubbies2120** » Fri May 13, 2022 3:19 pm

When we hear stories of Wilt dominating and people say “Yeah but he played against part time mailmen”…

30-40 years from now people gonna be saying “Jokic dominated as a part time jockey” :lol:

MarcusBrody · Post #26 » by **MarcusBrody** » Fri May 13, 2022 4:10 pm

I think a certain approach to work is just what he considers par for the course. Half the cars in Serbia have lost their rear view mirrors naturally.

shoresy69 · Post #27 » by **shoresy69** » Fri May 13, 2022 4:15 pm

Those types of articles are nothing but fluff. They exist to get fans more hyped about players they already like

Statlanta · Post #28 » by **Statlanta** » Fri May 13, 2022 4:18 pm

Isn’t the book on him that he plays too passively and relies on his teammates too much. Also he was getting the Zion/Luka/Harden treatment not too long ago.

RRFB · Post #29 » by **RRFB** » Fri May 13, 2022 4:28 pm

Something clicked in him about 2.5 years ago after he started the season visibly overweight. Since then, it has been widely reported in Denver that he goes and lifts weights immediately after every single game (before doing post-game interviews). Coaches and teammates have also regularly commented on his work ethic and intensity in practice too. It isn’t surprising that no one outside Denver seems to be aware of it though.

Bergmaniac · Post #30 » by **Bergmaniac** » Fri May 13, 2022 4:29 pm

It's probably because he doesn't bother to pay some PR agents and journalists to talk nonstop what a hard worker he is, unlike some other stars.

Fencer reregistered · Post #31 » by **Fencer reregistered** » Fri May 13, 2022 4:32 pm

chilluminati wrote:I feel like Jokic is a prime example of a guy that you can't label based off his words and actions. You label him on his body of work and the results that provides him. I also feel like the crazy work ethic/obsessed drive is something culminated in American "hustle culture". I'm sure foreigners have those same sentiments when it comes to caring about their craft, but I like to think a bit of the public hustle and dedication is manufactured for a guys story.

Dirk had a work ethic narrative.

Post #32 » by **The Rebel** » Fri May 13, 2022 4:54 pm

[list=][/list]

Statlanta wrote:Isn’t the book on him that he plays too passively and relies on his teammates too much. Also he was getting the Zion/Luka/Harden treatment not too long ago.

Early in his career he would go through times of being too passive that went away over the last couple of years. If a PG put up 27 and 8 nobody would be calling him passive, Jokic runs the Nuggets offense as much as any PG in the league since Murray went down.

Also I am not sure what you mean by the Zion/Luka/Harden treatment? He doesn't get the star treatment from the media or the refs.

AleksandarN · Post #33 » by **AleksandarN** » Fri May 13, 2022 5:11 pm

Pretty much sums up Jokic

Read on Twitter

Statlanta · Post #34 » by **Statlanta** » Fri May 13, 2022 6:00 pm

The Rebel wrote:[list=][/list]
Statlanta wrote:Isn’t the book on him that he plays too passively and relies on his teammates too much. Also he was getting the Zion/Luka/Harden treatment not too long ago.

Early in his career he would go through times of being too passive that went away over the last couple of years. If a PG put up 27 and 8 nobody would be calling him passive, Jokic runs the Nuggets offense as much as any PG in the league since Murray went down.

Also I am not sure what you mean by the Zion/Luka/Harden treatment? He doesn't get the star treatment from the media or the refs.

Zion/Luka/Harden treatment as he's fat

Richard Miller · Post #35 » by **Richard Miller** » Fri May 13, 2022 6:08 pm

Stackey wrote:There are always stories about how all – time greats love the game and how much they train, and how competitive they are, but not for Jokic.

I understand his language and he openly talks in interviews how there are nights when he doesn't even want to play basketball game, but he does because it is his job. And that he loves horses(racing) more than basketball.

He doesn't miss practices and he maintains a good diet, and that's it. Nothing extraordinary.

There are, but as with most Jokic stories, they rarely make way into the big media, you'd need to follow Nuggets beat reporters:

How Nuggets All-Star Nikola Jokic became a weight room beast

https://www.greeleytribune.com/2021/03/07/nikola-jokic-nuggets-trainer-felipe-eichenberger-relationship/

Jasen777 · Post #36 » by **Jasen777** » Fri May 13, 2022 6:15 pm

Fencer reregistered wrote:
chilluminati wrote:I feel like Jokic is a prime example of a guy that you can't label based off his words and actions. You label him on his body of work and the results that provides him. I also feel like the crazy work ethic/obsessed drive is something culminated in American "hustle culture". I'm sure foreigners have those same sentiments when it comes to caring about their craft, but I like to think a bit of the public hustle and dedication is manufactured for a guys story.

Dirk had a work ethic narrative.

He did, and he did work hard. But the narrative was probably helped that Cuban was his hype man, Dirk wouldn't have been the type of guy to promote it either.

ellobo · Post #37 » by **ellobo** » Fri May 13, 2022 6:32 pm

Stackey wrote: he did it with an approach of a pizza deliver guy who just wants to keep his job.

Lunartic wrote:Don't assume that talk = actual work.

He clearly has put in immense amounts of work, he's some huge athletic marvel that gets by on his size or speed alone.

Roger Murdock wrote:Part of Spurs culture for years was focusing on well rounded people rather than obsessed hoopers

Creates a better locker room and more stable environment

This reminds me of a Shea Serrano article that is nominally about Tim Duncan making the hall of fame, but is mostly about Shea Serrano's father's career as a bus driver:

https://www.theringer.com/nba/2021/5/14/22434537/tim-duncan-hall-of-fame-spurs

Sgt Major · Post #38 » by **Sgt Major** » Fri May 13, 2022 6:37 pm

He talked about his idols a few days ago and, for an xy time, said Tim Duncan's name, but then added Boris Diaw as well and that's a great comparison. He's way better than Diaw, but they're very similar in terms of style, shape, attitude, humor...

Read on Twitter

As for so many of us in Serbia, obviously the Spurs were his favorite team.

MarcusBrody · Post #39 » by **MarcusBrody** » Fri May 13, 2022 6:40 pm

Richard Miller wrote:
Stackey wrote:There are always stories about how all – time greats love the game and how much they train, and how competitive they are, but not for Jokic.

I understand his language and he openly talks in interviews how there are nights when he doesn't even want to play basketball game, but he does because it is his job. And that he loves horses(racing) more than basketball.

He doesn't miss practices and he maintains a good diet, and that's it. Nothing extraordinary.

There are, but as with most Jokic stories, they rarely make way into the big media, you'd need to follow Nuggets beat reporters:

How Nuggets All-Star Nikola Jokic became a weight room beast

https://www.greeleytribune.com/2021/03/07/nikola-jokic-nuggets-trainer-felipe-eichenberger-relationship/

I do admit to letting my subscription to the Greeley Tribune lapse.

Jadoogar · Post #40 » by **Jadoogar** » Fri May 13, 2022 7:02 pm

The Rebel wrote:
KembaWalker wrote:probably why he cant put a real postseason run together outside a rested bubble

Couldn't be that his teammates have let him down, it is jokic's fault they have only made 1 conference finals.

Embiid without simmons lost in the first round
Tatum without Brown/Smart would lose in the first round
this is such a dumb argument