Nikola Jokic is Sick of the Comparisons Between Him and Sengun

There are a lot of parallels between Nikola Jokic and Alperen Şengün. For one, they are both massive European centers. They both have a feathery touch and incredible passing vision. They aren’t the classic type of NBA star. They lack athleticism, but they make up for it with efficiency, basketball IQ, and consistency.

They also have had a similar career path. Neither was supposed to be a star. Jokic was the 41st overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. Şengün was the 16th pick, but was considered a risky take. They also both took a couple of years to really break out, both reaching their first All-Star game in their fourth season in the league.

All of these similarities even landed Sengun the nickname: Baby Jokic. 

However, despite their obvious connection, Jokic doesn’t like the comparisons. 

"People need to stop comparing us. He's an amazing player by himself. He needs to be [recognized] by who he is. He's definitely a talented player. He needs to be recognized as Alperen Şengün."

Jokic doesn’t want the comparisons to stop because he doesn’t think Şengün is on his level; he wants them to stop so Şengün can forge his own path in the league.

This is the type of veteran leadership that is refreshing. Instead of putting Şengün down, he is uplifting him despite the fact that they are slowly becoming potential rivals. Just the other night, they became the first centers to both record a triple-double in the same game. 

If the Rockets and Nuggets end up meeting in the playoffs, the connection between Jokic and Şengün will only grow. Hopefully, a rivalry can start to brew.