Bill Simmons predicts another historic season from Nikola Jokic would elevate his all-time position: "One of the 10 best players ever"

While Nikola Jokic has already transformed how the center position is played, his next chapter might determine how his legacy is remembered. At least that’s the view of Bill Simmons, who believes another dominant season could propel Jokic into truly historic territory.

In recent seasons, the Denver Nuggets’ cornerstone has methodically built a resume worthy of the history books, with two regular-season MVPs, a Finals MVP, a championship ring and a bunch of All-Star nods. Yet, as podcast host Simmons observed, if Jokic keeps piling up accolades at this rate, his place among the game’s immortals will be indisputable.

Jokic could redefine NBA legacy

We’re only weeks away from tipoff, but let’s jump ahead — to the season’s finale. Now picture Jokic finishing the year with a second championship ring for the Nuggets and a fourth regular-season MVP nod added to his resume.

It sounds bold — until you remember who we’re talking about. After all, since the decade began, the Serbian big man has showcased nearly every skill imaginable at an elite level, propelling himself not just into the discussion for the best player in the world, but squarely into the conversation among the greatest to ever play the game.

Simmons sees it the same way. On his latest podcast episode, he doubled down on his belief in the Joker, saying the idea that the seven-time All-Star could keep dominating and extend his prime through 2025–26 might signal a legacy shift simmering on the stove.

Team performance will be key

Simmons contended that if Jokic captures those aforementioned accolades of another ring and another MVP award he would be undeniably one of the 10 greatest players ever.

A season like that, Simmons noted, wouldn’t just mark dominance — it would cement Jokic among the giants who defined entire eras: Bill Russell commanded the 1960s, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar ruled the 1970s, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson shaped the 1980s, Michael Jordan owned the 1990s, Tim Duncan and Kobe Bryant carried the 2000s and LeBron James and Stephen Curry set the standard throughout the 2010s.

“The 2020s,” Simmons said simply, “are just Joker right now.”

At just 30 and still very much in his prime, Jokic has — as mentioned above — already proven he has what it takes to make that happen and the sky’s still the limit. However, basketball is a team game and much will depend on how relatively inexperienced head coach David Adelman handles the challenge — and how the Nuggets roster will respond when the regular season tips off. That’s particularly compelling considering how active Denver’s front office was during the summer offseason.

Jokic’s supporting cast now features new additions such as backup center Jonas Valanciunas, sharpshooting forward Cameron Johnson, swingman Tim Hardaway Jr. and the returning Bruce Brown. Each will be eager to make an impact with their new — or in Brown’s case, slightly more familiar — team.

While that alone should provide enough motivation, maybe they’ll also be driven to help their superstar, Jokic, climb higher in the all-time rankings if things unfold well in Colorado.

Ultimately, a strong start will be crucial for it all, as the Nuggets open the new campaign against the Golden State Warriors before closing the opening months of the season with matchups against the Phoenix Suns, Minnesota Timberwolves and New Orleans Pelicans.

This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Oct 15, 2025, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Bill Simmons predicts another historic season from Nikola Jokic would elevate his all-time position: “One of the 10 best players ever”

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