Hot takes are the backbone of sports fandom, the division and connection between fan bases, and Bishop Gorman is filled with all kinds of sports fans with all kinds of hot takes.
Gabriel Barisic ‘27 is fifth on the series No Chill, where students will give their sports hot takes, and I’ll argue for and against it, at the end rating the hot take 1-10 on a scale of how hot it is, and stating my opinion on whether I agree or disagree with it.
Barisic’s hot take is, “Nikola Jokić is already a top 10 player in NBA history.” Jokić has the individual accolades for this argument. He’s already a three time NBA MVP, NBA champion, and statistically one of the best offensive players in NBA history, if not the best. Since the beginning of his first MVP season in 2021, he’s averaged 27 points, 12.4 rebounds, and 9.3 assists per game over six seasons. That is a level of dominance that most will never reach, and one of the best six season spans offensively in NBA history. What separates Jokić even further is how unprecedented his skillset is for a center. His playmaking rivals elite guards, his efficiency consistently ranks among the best ever, and his ability to control the pace and flow of an entire game makes him the engine of every offense he leads. When compared to all-time greats, very few players can claim to be the clear best passer, scorer, and decision-maker on the floor at all times, regardless of position. His impact isn’t just statistical; it translates directly to winning at the highest level, as seen in his championship run where he dominated every series without relying on a traditional superteam structure. When you combine peak performance, sustained dominance, historical uniqueness, and postseason success, Jokić’s case for being a top 10 player of all time becomes not just reasonable, but increasingly difficult to deny.
On the other hand, the case for Nikola Jokić being a top 10 player of all time is still premature when compared to the full body of work of the true inner-circle legends. While his peak is historically great, all-time ranking is also about sustained dominance at the highest level, and there are players whose individual seasons and resumes still surpass what Jokić has produced so far. For example, Michael Jordan’s 1988 season is often cited as one of the most complete two-way peaks ever, pairing elite scoring with Defensive Player of the Year impact in a way Jokić simply does not replicate on the defensive end. LeBron James in 2013 delivered arguably the most dominant all-around season in modern NBA history, combining scoring efficiency, elite defense, and playmaking while leading a championship team in a stacked era. Stephen Curry’s 2016 season also reshaped offensive basketball entirely, with an unprecedented level of shooting gravity and efficiency that fundamentally changed how defenses are structured. There have been seasons that surpass Jokić because of impact, two-way play, and certain intangible factors that put them a notch above any that Jokić has been able to produce. Another major factor is championships, in no particular order, most people’s top 10 is: Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Stephen Curry, Kobe Bryant, Bill Russell, Larry Bird, Hakeem Olajuwon, Shaquille O’Neal–and many times Tim Duncan fits in somewhere, taking another out (often Olajuwon). The common denominator among these players is that they all have multiple championships to their name, and other than Olajuwon, who has two, the least amount of rings a player has amongst this group is four (Curry, James, and Bird). Championships are a huge factor in a player’s status amongst the all time greats, and Jokić has only produced one.
In my opinion, Jokić falls in the top 20 range, he needs another ring to have a serious argument at the top 10 players ever. I would rate this take an 8/10, because to many, it may have some true weight and people may even agree, the argument has to be taken seriously because Jokić has one of the best personal résumés of all time, he just needs another championship or two.