Nikola Jokic and Jimmy Butler continue to dominate the NBA headlines as the two superstars are currently engaged in the NBA Finals. While they have very different playstyles, they share one thing in common: struggling to watch the NBA while growing up. Earlier, Butler had said that because of poverty, he didn’t even have cable. That is why he couldn’t watch NBA games. Similarly, the Nuggets Center also missed out on NBA action as a kid and he recently revealed when he finally started following the league.

Jokic already has an impressive resume, and adding an NBA championship along with a Finals MVP will cement the Joker as one of the best big men of all time. But who did the 2x MVP model his game after?

Nikola Jokic and His NBA viewing experience

Before being an NBA player, Joker watched as a fan in Serbia. He wasn’t able to catch up to the live NBA games because of the different timings. He listed Magic Johnson, Hakeem Olajuwon, and Michael Jordan as some influences at the same time. His game involves post moves, touch passes, long passes from baseline, tough rebounding, off-the-ball shooting as a spot-up player, and much more. The influence of these players is evident in those moves.

Jokic said, “I didn’t follow that much NBA because in Serbia the games are on at 3 and 4 AM. When YouTube came out I was like 15, I watched Magic because of his passing, Hakeem because of his post moves and Jordan because he is Jordan.”

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READ More: “That’s a Bar”: Veteran Media Personality, Whose Kobe Bryant Story Moved Thousands, Wins Over NBA World With Hot Take On Jimmy Butler vs Nikola Jokic

Earlier, the Heat Forward Jimmy Butler had revealed that he had “no cable” because of his poverty-stricken family. At the young age of 13, he was kicked out of his mother’s house. The media has widely celebrated Butler’s rags-to-riches story. From there on, he had to work hard to find an abode. His NBA journey has also been thorny and he had to work his way up from being a bench player to being the star that he is today. Jokic went through a similar process before becoming a 2x MVP.

Jokic’s hard work pays off

The Serbian has been breaking record after record during the current Playoffs. He has hoarded 29.8 Points per game, 13.1 Rebounds per game, 10.5 Assists per game while shooting 54.2% from the field and 47.5% from the three-point range. The Center also won the NBA Playoffs Western Conference MVP Award. Unlike last season, the presence of Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr., in addition to the offseason signings of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Bruce Brown, has bolstered his team’s depth.

The Denver Nuggets won Game 1 of the Finals 104-93 as Nikola Jokic dipped in 27 points, 14 assists, and 10 rebounds. Butler had just 13 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists, which was half of his scoring average. The Heat Forward also won the Playoffs MVP Award for Eastern Conference and has been in a great rhythm. Usually, he follows up a so-so night with a strong effort.

Who will prevail when Jokic and Butler will square off in the next game?

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