In an look of unveiling podcast, previous Denver Nuggets middle Demaus cousins Provided a uncommon overview Within the mind-set of the double MVP Nikola Jokic. Whereas the world of basketball already is aware of Jokic as a generational expertise, the cousins spotlight what he believes that the star of the Nuggets is absolutely terrifying; Not simply his statistics, however his perspective in direction of the sport itself.
“Mad Mec”, cousins Podcast of play instructed. “The half that makes me love Jokic as a lot as I’m greater than his character. When you ever have the prospect to carry a dialog with him and he tells you a bit of about himself, he’ll make you know the way a lot he actually doesn’t give AF *** about this S ***. He doesn’t care in any respect.”
Demarcus Cousins says that Nikola Jokic thought of retirement as a substitute of signing a supermax settlement with the nuggets 😳😳 pic.twitter.com/4uaka5v85i
– Proper play podcast (@straightgamepod) July 31, 2025
In line with the 34-year-old middle, Jokic considers basketball as one of many many pursuits in his life. He defined that Jokic considers the sport maybe his third or fourth favourite factor to do. And but, even with out prioritizing sport, it dominates on the highest degree.
“There are video games the place he drops one in every of these loopy statistics strains … He most likely does not even wish to be there,” stated Cousins. “And that is the scary a part of all this.”
Cousins and Jokic have been teammates within the Nuggets in the course of the 2021-22 NBA season. Their lockers have been facet by facet, which gave the cousins a seat on the entrance line with the title’s each day habits of the MVP. He recalled a dialog that the 2 shared after a teammate signed a contract extension. Cousins joked with Jokić concerning the enormous pay day that was ready for him in his subsequent contract.
However Jokic’s response was surprising.
“He was like” as a result of I truthfully suppose I may retire after this contract “,” stated Cousins. “I stated:” And depart $ 300 million on the desk? “I stated to him,” Signal the contract and get the worst.
As an alternative of chasing extra distinctions or consideration, Jookic expressed the will to go residence and reside quietly.
“He was like:” I simply wish to go to my valley with my horses. And I stated to him, “These horses will probably be there, my brother.
Jokic’s disinterest in glory or materials success might be uncommon in a league filled with excessive degree stars, however that can also be a part of what makes it so efficient. The concept he can disinstruct groups with casualness with out even prioritizing the sport highlights a uncommon degree of expertise. The cousins have framed this paradox as what makes Jokic so harmful – he performs for pleasure and stability, not heritage.
It needs to be famous that regardless of this perspective, the manufacturing of Jokic stays among the many finest within the historical past of the NBA. He’s a MVP a number of instances, a remaining MVP, and probably the most coherent triple threats that the League has ever seen. His basketball qi, his passage, his rebound and his marking are all elite. And in accordance with Cousins, he does all the pieces whereas holding a relaxed mind-set.
This mix of dominant abilities and indifferent perspective is what has remained with cousins. For him, Jokic is somebody who can enter an enviornment, dismantle an opposing crew and exit imperturbable – as a result of his coronary heart is as a lot along with his horses in Serbia as on the bottom.
