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As the media continues to pile on Nikola Jokic for the Nuggets' first-round playoff exit, Rich Paul is arguing the criticism is not harsh enough.
Paul says the press is taking it easy on Jokic, unlike how it has treated his top client, LeBron James.
"The reason you don't hear a lot of conversation about Jokic is because I don't believe people are happy to see Jokic lose," Paul said on his podcast with Max Kellerman. "When LeBron loses, people are happy to see him lose. Especially his peers. Guys that played in the league who have platforms today, for different reasons, it's extra. They are happy to see him lose."
Uh, what?
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Jokic has become like Josh Allen in that talking heads have created a narrative that he is one of the most protected athletes. That claim does not hold up. In fact, the opposite is true.
Paul says no one roots for Jokic to fail. He might want to check former ESPN broadcaster Mark Jones' Bluesky page, where the buffoon has spent nearly a week celebrating and mocking Jokic's shortcomings.
SPORTS MEDIA RACE-BAITERS ARE ALREADY TAKING NIKOLA JOKIC CRITICISM TOO FAR
Former players Kendrick Perkins and Gilbert Arenas have also made it clear they actively root against Jokic. Perkins, in particular, spent multiple ESPN segments last Friday gloating about Jokic's struggles.
The idea that Jokic is favored, as Paul suggests, is dishonest. An entire wing of the sports media dislikes him because he is a White European player. Just look at the tone of the Andscape articles about him.
The comparison to LeBron James also lacks context. Paul is not alone in making it. Dan Patrick and Paul Pierce drew similar comparisons last week.
"If this was LeBron, a three-time MVP and one-time NBA champion, bowing out the way Joker did, we'd be crushing LeBron," Patrick said Friday.
"We're not going to sugarcoat this one. Because if this was LeBron at the peak of his powers losing like this, this is what we'd say," Pierce argued. "Let this have been LeBron at the peak of his powers. What would we have been saying? If you're the best player in the league, you're not supposed to lose in the first round."
Not quite.
Here is the difference: LeBron James is the most discussed athlete in American sports of the past two decades. Shows like "First Take" cover him almost daily during the NBA season. That level of attention brings heavier scrutiny, but it also brings a level of praise that Jokic has never received.
While James may be criticized more than Jokic, he is also far more celebrated.
James is widely viewed as one of the two greatest players in NBA history, alongside Michael Jordan. He is a global figure who craves attention. Jokic is an all-time great player but keeps a low profile and generates little off-court buzz.
The LeBron vs. Jokic comparisons are not valid. They are in different classes historically on the court and as superstars off it.
Find a new talking point. This one is lazy.
