4-time NBA champion John Salley recently appeared on the Club Shay Shay podcast. During the interview, he chose Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant as the face of the league in the next decade, ahead of Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Stephen Curry. He then went on to name his top five players who are currently playing in the league. Following this, Salley spoke about how he would play against two-time MVP Nikola Jokic. 

John Salley was famously known to be a member of the ‘Bad Boys’ Pistons lineup. With a career field goal percentage of 50.6%, Salley won NBA championships with three different teams (Detroit Pistons, Chicago Bulls, and LA Lakers). On the podcast, John Salley was quick to establish that he is a huge Ja Morant fan. He also spoke about Nikola Jokic’s ‘awkwardness’ on the hardwood and how it’s an advantage for the big man. 

John Salley on Nikola Jokic

In the podcast, John Salley listed his top five players currently playing in the league. His list went somewhat like this – Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luka Doncic, Stephen Curry, LeBron James, and eventually Nikola Jokic. 

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While talking about Jokic, he said, “I get so nervous watching him, knowing I would have to punch him.” He even admitted that to face Jokic, he would have to figure out a way to throw the ball and hit him in the face. 

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According to Salley, Jokic’s ‘awkwardness’ on the court makes it difficult for players to guard him. Therefore, he would probably have to take extreme measures to solve the Serbian puzzle.

Additionally, Salley proceeded to hail Jokic for his performance. He said, “He giving numbers. Oh, I (Jokic) am going to get all these rebounds and I gonna assist.” 

In the middle of the conversation, Salley also picked Ja Morant over the likes of Luka Doncic, Steph Curry and the Greek Freak, to be the player of the 2020s. The answer visibly surprised Shanon Sharpe. And Salley himself admitted that his pick is not a conventional answer.

Nikola Jokic’s season so far 

Almost a month into the 2022-23 season, Nikola Jokic has lived up to the MVP tag. This season, he bagged his 79th triple-double, making him the leader of the most triple-doubles made list. 

With an average of 9.3 assists per game, Jokic has shot 61.1% from the field. In his last game against the San Antonio Spurs, the Serbian registered 26 points with 10 assists and 8 rebounds. 

Jokic’s dominant performance has been well supported by Jamal Murray. For Nuggets coach Michael Malone, Murry and Jokic are like “peanut butter and jelly”. With this momentum, the Nuggets hope to continue to assert their dominance against the Indiana Pacers next, while fans hope Jokic continues to play at his prime.

Watch this story: While being a 7ft menace on the court for opponents, Nikola Jokic has a loveable family with his wife Natalija Macesic, and toddler daughter

Do you agree with John Salley’s list? Let us know in the comments below.