Ex-NBA Player Makes Bold Claim About Nikola Jokic's Superstar Status

Ex-NBA Player Makes Bold Claim About Nikola Jokic's Superstar Status originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The season came to an unfortunate end for the Denver Nuggets, as they fell to the Oklahoma City Thunder in seven games in the Western Conference semifinals. Some around the NBA were surprised the Nuggets made it as far as they did, considering they fired head coach Michael Malone just days before the end of the regular season.
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Nuggets superstar center Nikola Jokic did his best to carry the Nuggets to the Conference Finals, especially with injuries to Michael Porter Jr. and Aaron Gordon, but ultimately ran out of gas down the stretch.
Mar 8, 2019; Oakland, CA, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) attempts to dribble past Golden State Warriors center DeMarcus Cousins (0) in the third quarter at Oracle Arena.© Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images
Ex-NBA player makes bold claim about Nikola Jokic
Former NBA players DeMarcus Cousins and Chandler Parsons were discussing what makes someone a superstar on Run It Back on FanDuelTV, and some Nuggets fans might not agree with Cousins' take.
"Obviously, it's the on-court performance. I think that's the No. 1 thing," Cousins said. "Are you marketable? Can the league sell you? Do people like you? Global impact as well. Once you start having that global impact, obviously, you're going to that superstar status.
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"As great as Jokic is, you can't sell him. You can't market him. He's not this great personality. I had the opportunity to be teammates with him. He doesn't care about the spotlight. He doesn't want to be that type of guy."
Many might disagree with Cousins regarding this topic, particularly on the fundamental level of what defines a superstar. It's hard not to consider a five-time All-NBA First Team member and three-time Most Valuable Player award winner a superstar.
While Jokic might not be hosting his own podcast anytime soon, that shouldn't exclude him from the conversation about superstars. The Nuggets will likely have an interesting offseason as they look to keep their championship window open and surround Jokic with more reliable pieces.
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 5, 2025, where it first appeared.

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