Nikola Jokic, a three-time NBA MVP, may not immediately strike casual observers as the league’s top player. Michael Porter Jr., who once shared a locker room with Jokic on the Denver Nuggets, was initially among those who underestimated the Serbian star. During his first training camp with the Nuggets, Porter Jr. did not grasp the magnitude of Jokic’s talent.

Unlike many of his peers, Porter Jr. did not follow the NBA closely. Instead, he focused on basketball that reflected his immediate competition level.

“Going into the Nuggets, I didn’t really follow the NBA much before I got to the NBA,”

Porter Jr. explained on the Glory Daze podcast.

“I always focused on my age group. When I was in high school, I was watching high school dudes. When I was in college, I was watching my friends who were in college.”

Porter Jr.’s Basketball Background and Early NBA Experience

Porter Jr. remained concentrated on his personal development and those closest to his level rather than professional stars. His college season at Missouri was disrupted by injury, which limited his playing time as a freshman. During that period, he kept up with players like Trae Young and Deandre Ayton, supporting his contemporaries instead of following the broader collegiate or NBA landscape.

After the Denver Nuggets drafted Porter Jr. in 2018, he entered training camp while still recovering from a back injury. Though he did not fully participate in the camp activities, he was present alongside the team. Though aware of Jokic, Porter Jr. observed nothing at first to signal the future superstar’s exceptional abilities.

Recognizing Jokic’s True Potential Over Time

“He wasn’t the superstar he is now when I first got drafted,”

Porter Jr. admitted.

“I really didn’t see it at first. Everybody keeps telling me he’s that cold. But in training camp, him and Mason Plumlee, our backup center, are going head-to-head.”

Porter Jr. initially believed that his teammates might have exaggerated Jokic’s skills. However, they urged him to withhold judgment until the regular season began.

“They were like, ‘No Mike, wait till the real games come. You’re going to see that this dude’s a problem,’”

Porter Jr. recalled.

When the regular games started, Porter Jr. quickly changed his views.

“I quickly found out that he is him. He is the best player in the world,”

he said confidently.

The Growing Respect Between Teammates and the Future Beyond Denver

Since then, Porter Jr. has enjoyed six seasons playing alongside Jokic and has come to fully appreciate his teammate’s extraordinary skill and leadership. However, this chapter is closing, as Porter Jr. was recently traded to the Brooklyn Nets. Their future meetings will now come from opposing sides, marking a new dynamic in their professional relationship.

The acknowledgment of Nikola Jokic’s greatness by a former doubter like Michael Porter Jr. not only underscores the Serbian center’s remarkable rise but also highlights how perceptions can evolve through shared experience and competition.