Nikola Jokic proves why Larry Bird would be dominant in the modern NBA explains former star

Mar 3, 2026 - 19:30

Nikola Jokic is arguably one of the greatest basketball players on the planet right now.

Some may argue he’s even the greatest in this day and age.

OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA - MAY 05: Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets looks on during the third quarter of Round Two Game One of the 2025 NBA Playoffs against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Paycom Center on May 05, 2025 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. — Nikola Jokic is one of the best players in the NBA right now

Even when the Denver Nuggets drafted the Serbian star center with the 41st overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft – most memorable for being selected during a Taco Bell commercial – they likely couldn’t foresee the talent they were getting with a second-round pick.

But here we are in 2026 with the 31-year-old instrumental in the Nuggets’ 2023 championship run in which he won the Finals MVP award, a three-time league MVP award winner and an 8-time All-Star.

He’s never going to be the most athletic player out there on the hardwood, nor will he ever be the fastest with a 6-foot-11 frame and weighing in at 284 pounds.

But what Jokic lacks in these athletic attributes, he makes up for with an abundance of grit – sometimes too much – determination, and somewhat freakish talent that has legends like Steve Nash marvelling at him.

The reality is that in the modern NBA has been dominated by elite European and non-American talent for much of the last decade.

Giannis Antetokounmpo hails from Greece. Luka Doncic, from Slovenia. Victor Wembanyama honed his craft in France.

Even Shai Gilgeous-Alexander who is Canadian.

In fact, the last American to win the league MVP award was James Harden all the way back in 2018 – that is, of course, if Cameroonian-born Joel Embiid is omitted, despite suiting up for Team USA at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics.

But how would some of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame legends from the 1980s/1990s fare in today’s NBA?

Former point guard and 2021 NBA champion with the Milwaukee Bucks Jeff Teague wonders whether an all-time great like Larry Bird would be just as dominant in the modern era as he was throughout his career.

Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets is awarded the Bill Russell MVP trophy after winning Game Five of the 2023 NBA Finals — Nobody could have envisioned how good Jokic would become in the NBA

Jeff Teague (L) is of the belief that Bird would drop 30-10-8 if he played in the NBA today

“Sometimes I used to watch older people play, and I would be like, ‘he ain’t athletic, he ain’t this.’ But then when I watch Jokic, it’s like he’s walking around, he just makes it look so simple,” Teague said on his Club520podcast.

“If Larry Bird played right now, Luka and Jokic would just be walking around. Larry Bird would average 30, 10 and 8.”

Bird respected by the GOAT

Bird spent the entirety of his 13-year career with the Boston Celtics where in all but the 1988-89 season, he was named an All-Star.

In 897 games, the 6-foot-9 small forward – who initially entered the league out of Indiana State as a power forward – amassed 21,791 career points – an average of 23.4 points per game – to go along with 10 rebounds and 6.3 assists per outing.

His list of accolades is lengthy, though is highlighted by three NBA championships, two Finals MVP awards, three regular season MVP awards, a 12-time All-Star and a nine-time All-NBA First Team honoree.

His No. 33 jersey has also been immortalized, hanging up in the rafters of the TD Garden alongside the other 23 retired Celtics numbers, including that of all-time great Bill Russell.

Larry Bird shooting a basketball — Larry Bird was one of the most dominant players in the NBA during his career

1990: Larry Bird #33 of the Boston Celtics and Michael Jordan #23 of the Chicago Bulls sit on a bench circa 1990 during an NBA All-Star game. (Photo by Focus on Sport via Getty Images) — Bird and Jordan shared a mutual respect between each other

But Bird was much like Jokic, in that he wasn’t known for his sheer athleticism. Quite the opposite actually – and incredibly versatile.

But the all-time greats who hailed from the same era as Bird universally respected his game, including that of Michael Jordan who once named his fierce rival as the best small forward of all time.

“People ask me all the time who my all-time five top players are,” Jordan said in the book ‘When the Game Was Ours.’

“And when I start saying Larry, they interrupt me. They say, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me. He can’t play with LeBron James!’

“I tell them, ‘You guys don’t get it. Larry is far better than any small forward who played the game, and to be honest, I’m still not sure if he is a small forward or a power forward.'”

Though we will never know if Bird would have been as dominant in today’s NBA as he was in his own era, Jokic may be the closest comparison, which is surely a compliment to both parties.

Stay up to date with the latest from the NBA across all platforms – follow our dedicated talkSPORT USA Facebook page and subscribe to our talkSPORT USA YouTube channel for all the news, exclusives, interviews and more.