Two former MVPs continue to show why they remain among the greatest scorers the league has ever seen.&nbsp;
Warriors guard Stephen Curry and Clippers guard James Harden added new milestones to their decorated resumes this week, each climbing further up the NBA&rsquo;s all-time scoring ladder with historic achievements that highlight their remarkable longevity.
Curry officially moved into 22nd place on the NBA&rsquo;s all-time scoring list, passing Vince Carter to continue his steady rise among the league&rsquo;s greatest bucket-getters. The Warriors superstar &ndash; widely regarded as the greatest shooter in basketball history &ndash; has maintained elite scoring production deep into his 17th season, still anchoring Golden State&rsquo;s offense and showing no signs of slowing down. His ascent is another reminder of how his combination of skill, conditioning, and adaptability has allowed him to remain one of the most dangerous offensive players in the NBA.
Meanwhile, Harden became just the 11th player in league history to surpass 28,000 career points, joining an exclusive scoring club. Now in his 17th season like Curry, the Clippers guard continues to demonstrate his ability to generate offense at a high level, even after evolving his role across multiple franchises. Harden&rsquo;s scoring longevity &ndash; built on a mix of creativity, pace manipulation, and efficiency from the perimeter &ndash; reinforces his status as one of the most prolific offensive weapons of his generation.
Both milestones underscore the continued impact of two stars who have shaped the modern NBA &ndash; who were also draft batchmates in the 2009 NBA Draft. As Curry and Harden keep rewriting the record books, their late-career production shows that even in an era defined by rising young talent, the legends are still leaving their stamp on the game.

Warriors guard Stephen Curry and Clippers guard James Harden added new milestones to their decorated resumes this week.

Stephen Curry, James Harden continue to write their legacies

Two of the league&rsquo;s biggest names returned to action this week, each under very different circumstances but with high expectations. Paul George made his season debut with the Philadelphia 76ers after a lengthy rehabilitation, while LeBron James returned for the Los Angeles Lakers in his historic 23rd season.
Paul George back on the floor for the Sixers
George made his long-awaited return on November 17 in Philadelphia&rsquo;s 110-108 win over his former team, the Los Angeles Clippers. He logged 21 minutes, scoring nine points on 2-of-9 shooting, while adding seven rebounds, three assists and two blocks.
The 35-year-old wing had been sidelined since early March with a left knee injury that required surgery &ndash; a disruption that curtailed what was meant to be a pivotal season in Philadelphia.&nbsp;
However, Sixers head coach Nick Nurse confirmed George will still be on a minutes restriction as Philadelphia carefully eases him back into full form.
LeBron James begins 23rd NBA Season in style
James returned to the court November 19 in Los Angeles, leading the Lakers to a 140-126 victory over the Utah Jazz. He played 30 minutes and posted 11 points and 12 assists.
The appearance also marked a historic milestone: James became the first player in NBA history to participate in a 23rd season.
Despite missing the first 14 games due to sciatica, James didn&rsquo;t appear visibly rusty and helped energize the Lakers&rsquo; offense and veteran presence immediately.&nbsp;
In the postseason outlook, his return is seen as a major boost for LA&rsquo;s aspirations &ndash; especially alongside the contributions of Luka Doncic and other rising teammates who have stepped up in his absence.
ANALYSIS: What this means for George is him returning gives the Sixers the veteran wing and two-way defender they signed for. This is a hint at a player ready to contribute again and help them reach even greater heights. For LeBron, his debut sets the tone for another chapter in his legendary career. Less about big scoring and more about orchestration and leadership &ndash; at age 40 he remains impactful.&nbsp;
These returns come at key moments. Philadelphia needs George&rsquo;s presence to stabilize their rotation and absorb pressure as their injury list grows. The Lakers get a foundational piece back to complement their younger core for what they aim to be a deep run.

Paul George made his season debut with the Philadelphia 76ers  while LeBron James returned for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Paul George, LeBron James mark season debuts coming back from injuries

Two of the league&rsquo;s most recognizable superstars will be spending time on the sideline, as Victor Wembanyama and Giannis Antetokounmpo are both set to miss games due to their respective injuries. The setbacks come early in the season, where both the Spurs and Bucks are navigating to stay at the top of their conferences.
Wembanyama is expected to be out for multiple weeks after suffering a left calf strain. The injury was confirmed following an MRI, marking yet another hurdle for the Spurs&rsquo; franchise cornerstone, who previously missed extended time because of a deep vein thrombosis diagnosis in his right shoulder. While San Antonio remains optimistic about his long-term recovery &ndash; with recent signs pointing to positive on-court progress &ndash; the latest setback temporarily halts the momentum he had been building this season.
Meanwhile in Milwaukee, Antetokounmpo will miss 1-2 weeks due to a left groin strain.&nbsp; An MRI revealed no structural damage, but the Bucks are opting for caution as their two-time MVP manages the injury. Giannis had been playing at an elite level to open the year, and even a brief absence could shift the dynamics for a team working to establish consistency in the Eastern Conference.
The simultaneous loss of two global stars underscores just how fragile the NBA landscape can be. As both players recover, their teams will be forced to adjust &ndash; and the league will feel the absence of two of its most impactful talents until they return.

Two of the league’s most recognizable superstars will be spending time on the sideline - Wemby and Giannis.

Wembanyama, Giannis to miss some time as injuries hit two of NBA’s biggest stars

Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham is officially the newest NBA player to join Nike&rsquo;s signature roster, signing a multi-year endorsement deal that will include his first-ever signature sneaker, set to debut during the 2026&ndash;27 season, according to ESPN&rsquo;s Shams Charania.
Cunningham, who previously worked with Nike on a standard endorsement, now joins an exclusive group of active players with their own shoe line under the brand &ndash; a list that includes LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Ja Morant, Devin Booker and Giannis Antetokounmpo.&nbsp;
The agreement underscores Nike&rsquo;s confidence in the 24-year-old guard&rsquo;s rising star power, both as the face of Detroit&rsquo;s rebuild and as a marketable figure in the league&rsquo;s next generation of headliners.
The deal positions Cunningham as a central piece of Nike Basketball&rsquo;s future strategy. His signature model is expected to reflect his smooth, methodical style of play and his growing visibility as one of the Eastern Conference&rsquo;s premier young guards. With Detroit&rsquo;s youth movement gaining traction and Cunningham continuing to elevate his all-around game, the timing aligns with his ascent on and off the court.
For Cunningham, the partnership is another milestone in a career steadily trending upward. For Nike, it&rsquo;s a bet on a player they believe will be one of the defining stars of the coming decade.

Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham is officially the newest NBA player to join Nike’s signature roster.

Cade Cunningham resigns with Nike, to get his own signature shoe

The New Orleans Pelicans have parted ways with head coach Willie Green following a 2-10 start to the 2025-26 season, according to NBA insider Chris Haynes.
Associate head coach James Borrego, who previously coached the Charlotte Hornets, has been named interim head coach for New Orleans.
Pelicans Executive VP of Basketball Operations Joe Dumars said in a statement, &ldquo;After careful evaluation, we have made the difficult decision to make a change at head coach &hellip; I have the utmost respect for Willie Green &hellip; We wish him and his family all the best in the future.&rdquo; Owner Gayle Benson echoed the sentiment, acknowledging the difficulty of the move but expressing confidence in Dumars&rsquo; decision.
Green departs New Orleans with a 150-190 record over more than four seasons. He led the team to the playoffs twice (2021-22 and 2023-24), but was unable to advance past the first round in either appearance.
This season&rsquo;s slow start was marked by more than just losses. The Pelicans began 0-6 and suffered multiple blowouts; per ESPN research, they became the first team in franchise history to lose three of its first six games by 30+ points. Key injuries have compounded the problems &ndash; Zion Williamson has appeared in only five games due to a hamstring injury, and other notable players have missed time, further destabilizing the roster.
Borrego, who takes over for the remainder of the season, has head coaching experience and the Pelicans are relying on him to stabilize the team and refocus its competitive identity.

The New Orleans Pelicans have parted ways with head coach Willie Green following a 2-10 start to the 2025-26 season.

Pelicans fire head coach Willie Green after dismal 2-10 start

Stephen Curry and Under Armour will officially end their 13-year partnership, concluding one of the most influential athlete-brand relationships in modern basketball.&nbsp;
The decision, announced as part of Under Armour&rsquo;s ongoing corporate restructuring, means Curry Brand will now operate independently &ndash; effectively making Curry a sneaker free agent for the first time since 2013.
Under Armour confirmed that the Curry 13, set to release in February 2026, will be the final signature shoe under their collaboration. After a transition period that will run through late 2026, Curry Brand will separate fully from Under Armour, allowing the two-time MVP complete creative and commercial control over his footwear imprint.
Curry joined Under Armour in 2013 and quickly became the face of the brand&rsquo;s basketball category, helping drive its surge in market relevance during the mid-2010s while winning multiple MVPs and NBA championships. The Curry Brand formally launched in 2020, expanding his influence into both performance apparel and community initiatives.
Now, with the partnership ending, Curry Brand is expected to enter the marketplace independently &ndash; a move that opens the door for potential new partnerships while giving Curry more direct ownership of his designs, athlete roster, and long-term vision.
Industry insiders note that Under Armour&rsquo;s decision stems from broader restructuring efforts amid slowing sales and shifting strategic priorities. Still, the end of the partnership marks a significant shift in the sneaker landscape, as one of basketball&rsquo;s most accomplished and marketable stars becomes available to collaborate with other brands or chart a fully independent path.
As Curry Brand begins its next chapter, all eyes will be on where the four-time NBA champion lands &ndash; and how the separation reshapes the performance basketball market moving forward.

Stephen Curry and Under Armour will officially end their 13-year partnership, reports say.

Stephen Curry, Under Armour part ways to end longtime partnership

Los Angeles Clippers guard Bradley Beal will miss the rest of the 2025-26 NBA season after being diagnosed with a left hip fracture that will require surgery, the team announced Wednesday.
The injury occurred during a game against the Phoenix Suns, where Beal fell awkwardly after taking a charge in the second quarter. Further evaluation revealed a hip fracture, forcing the veteran guard to shut down for the season. According to reports, Beal is expected to undergo surgery next week.
Beal&rsquo;s stint with the Clippers was meant to mark a fresh start after an injury-riddled campaign with the Phoenix Suns. However, his time in Los Angeles was cut short after just six games, where he averaged 8.2 points and 1.7 assists while adjusting to a reduced role.
&ldquo;Brad&rsquo;s injury is very unfortunate &ndash; a fluke play,&rdquo; Clippers president Lawrence Frank said in a team statement. &ldquo;We expect him to make a full recovery and look forward to getting him back healthy.&rdquo;
For Beal, this represents another major setback in a career that has seen him battle multiple injuries in recent seasons. The 32-year-old joined the Clippers on a two-year, $11 million deal this past offseason, aiming to contribute veteran experience and scoring depth to a roster filled with playoff aspirations.
The Clippers will now rely more heavily on their younger backcourt pieces and other rotation players to fill the void left by Beal&rsquo;s absence. His leadership and experience, though sidelined, are still expected to play a role within the locker room as the team continues its push through the regular season.
Beal is expected to make a full recovery in time for the 2026-27 season.

Los Angeles Clippers guard Bradley Beal will miss the rest of the NBA season as he undergoes a hip surgery.

Clippers guard Bradley Beal to undergo season-ending hip surgery

The NBA has officially unveiled a brand-new format for the 2026 All-Star Game: USA vs. World.
This setup will debut on February 15, 2026, at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. The announcement marks a bold shift in the league&rsquo;s midseason showcase, aiming to bring back competitiveness and global intrigue to an event that has struggled to maintain intensity in recent years.
Instead of the traditional East vs. West or captain&rsquo;s draft system, the 2026 All-Star Game will feature three teams &ndash; USA Team A, USA Team B, and the World Team &ndash; competing in a round-robin tournament format. Each game will last 12 minutes, with four games played in total. After the first three games, the two teams with the best records will advance to the championship round, while point differential will serve as a tiebreaker if necessary.
The All-Star selection process remains similar, with 24 players chosen overall, 12 from each conference. Starters will continue to be selected through a combination of fan (50%), player (25%), and media (25%) voting, while coaches will pick the seven reserves from each conference. However, this year&rsquo;s pool will no longer follow positional requirements, allowing the 24 most deserving players to make the cut regardless of position. Commissioner Adam Silver will ensure roster balance, guaranteeing at least 16 U.S. players and 8 international players.
This new structure is designed to inject a stronger competitive edge and highlight the NBA&rsquo;s increasingly global reach. &ldquo;We wanted to create something that truly reflects the international nature of our game,&rdquo; Silver said in a statement. &ldquo;The USA vs. World format celebrates both the incredible depth of American talent and the global growth of basketball.&rdquo;
The move comes after years of criticism that the All-Star Game had become too casual, with little defense and minimal competition. By pitting American stars against their international counterparts &ndash; many of whom have dominated recent MVP races and All-NBA selections &ndash; the league hopes to restore some intensity to the showcase.
The 2026 edition also coincides with the NBA&rsquo;s return to NBC, marking the first time the network will broadcast the event since the early 2000s. The timing aligns with the network&rsquo;s coverage of the Winter Olympics, offering a massive stage for basketball&rsquo;s brightest stars.
With the league&rsquo;s best homegrown and international players set to clash, all eyes will be on how this experiment translates on the court. Whether the new format sparks the desired competitiveness remains to be seen for the foreseeable future.

The announcement marks a bold shift in the league’s midseason showcase, aiming to bring back competitiveness to the annual event.

NBA officially announces 2026 All-Star Game format: USA vs. World

Maybe it was always meant to happen this way &ndash; through the grind, the noise, and the heartbreak. Over the past few years, Detroit basketball was defined by its pain. A record-breaking 28-game losing streak. Missed lottery picks. False starts. The Motor City, once the heart of NBA toughness, had become an afterthought.
But lately, that&rsquo;s changing &ndash; fast.
Led by Cade Cunningham, the Detroit Pistons have stormed out to a stunning 9-2 start, sitting atop the Eastern Conference standings. They&rsquo;ve done it not through star-chasing or blockbuster trades, but through patience, internal player development, and a belief that the foundation they&rsquo;ve built would eventually bear fruit.
And at the center of it all is the quiet leader who never ran from the challenge.
Cade&rsquo;s time has come
Cade Cunningham&rsquo;s leap into superstardom has felt less like a breakout and more like a long-overdue arrival. The 24-year-old guard has been on an absolute tear to open the season, stringing together the kind of performances that remind you why he was once the No. 1 pick in his draft.
He&rsquo;s orchestrated the offense with poise and precision &ndash; highlighted by an 18-assist night earlier this season &ndash; and imposed his will on both ends. Then came the moment that made the league stop and take notice: a 46-point, 12-rebound, 11-assist, 5-steal, 2-block masterpiece in an overtime comeback win against the Wizards.
It wasn&rsquo;t just another great game. It was a declaration.
Cunningham has arrived not only as a star but as a symbol of Detroit&rsquo;s revival &ndash; a player who stayed when things were at their worst, who never complained, never pointed fingers, and never asked out. Drafted by one of the worst teams in NBA history, he endured the losing, the questions, and the scrutiny &ndash; and he came out sharper, stronger, and hungrier.
The Cunningham-Duren connection
Every great franchise turnaround starts with a pairing that just works. For the Pistons, that&rsquo;s Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren &ndash; the new-age guard-big duo that&rsquo;s fast becoming one of the most dangerous in basketball.
Duren, still only 21, has blossomed into a nightly double-double machine. He&rsquo;s stronger, more agile, and far more decisive in pick-and-roll reads &ndash; a perfect complement to Cunningham&rsquo;s pace and vision. His recent 20-point, 20-rebound outing was a glimpse of what&rsquo;s to come.
Their chemistry has been undeniable. Cunningham manipulates defenses with patience; Duren punishes them with power, and both connect on lobs and passes off the pick and roll that made them the most lethal combo so far (scoring the most pass-to-score duos in the league). They&rsquo;ve developed a rhythm that evokes the great guard-big tandems of the past &ndash; the kind that can anchor a team for years to come.
When Cunningham and Duren share the floor, the Pistons&rsquo; offense now hums with a balance that few young teams can match.
The young core&rsquo;s internal progression
But this isn&rsquo;t just a two-man show. Detroit&rsquo;s rise has been fueled by the steady internal improvement of its entire young core.
Ausar Thompson has taken a noticeable leap, attacking off the dribble more aggressively and showing improved confidence as a slasher. His defense, as always, remains elite &mdash; the kind of game-changing activity that sparks fast breaks and deflates opposing stars.
Isaiah Stewart, once a raw energy guy, now stretches the floor with a much-improved jumper. His ability to switch across positions gives Detroit defensive versatility few teams can replicate, and his shotblocking has been one of the best in the league.
Meanwhile, Ron Holland, the youngster known for his relentless motor, has brought a surge of intensity off the bench &ndash; the type of energy that can tilt the flow of games.
And though Jaden Ivey has yet to make his season debut due to injury, his eventual return adds another dynamic playmaker who can ease Cunningham&rsquo;s load and bring even more firepower to the offense.
Detroit&rsquo;s front office also deserves credit for complementing its young core with smart veteran additions. Duncan Robinson brings much-needed spacing and shooting, while Caris LeVert provides shot creation and playmaking for the second unit. These aren&rsquo;t headline-grabbing moves &ndash; but they&rsquo;re the kind that win games in November and matter even more come April.
Built, not bought
The Pistons&rsquo; resurgence stands in stark contrast to today&rsquo;s NBA trend of instant gratification. They didn&rsquo;t rush the rebuild. They didn&rsquo;t mortgage their future for short-term gains. Instead, they trusted their process &ndash; and more importantly, their people.
Head coach JB Bickerstaff has emphasized accountability, effort, and trust, and the results are showing. Detroit defends with purpose, shares the ball, and plays with the kind of unity that only comes from shared struggle.
This team remembers what it felt like to be at the bottom &ndash; and they play like they never want to go back.
If there&rsquo;s a city that appreciates resilience, it&rsquo;s Detroit. The Pistons&rsquo; early success isn&rsquo;t just about basketball, but it&rsquo;s about identity. It&rsquo;s about a fan base that&rsquo;s waited years for something to believe in again.
Cade Cunningham embodies that spirit. He doesn&rsquo;t talk about saving the franchise. He just shows up, competes, and leads. He&rsquo;s the face of a movement &ndash; not by flash, but by example.
For the first time in a long time, Detroit basketball means something again.
The Pistons might not stay atop the East all season &ndash; they&rsquo;re still young, still learning, still growing. But what&rsquo;s undeniable is that the foundation is real, the culture is changing, and the superstar they&rsquo;ve been waiting for is already here.
Detroit&rsquo;s rebuild wasn&rsquo;t supposed to take off this fast. But Cade Cunningham had other plans.

Cade Cunningham’s superstar leap has the Detroit Pistons atop the East after years of struggle through patience, growth, and belief.

From rock bottom to the top: How Cade Cunningham led Detroit’s revival

The Dallas Mavericks and owner Patrick Dumont are firing general manager Nico Harrison, according to ESPN&rsquo;s Shams Charania.
This move comes after the stunning trade of Luka Doncic to the Lakers 9 months ago by Nico Harrison.
This report would be updated with more details.

The Dallas Mavericks and owner Patrick Dumont are firing general manager Nico Harrison, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.

Mavericks to fire general manager Nico Harrison

There was a time when every Nikola Jokic triple-double was a headline. Now, it&rsquo;s just another night in the NBA.
Through the first seven games of the season, Jokic has recorded a triple-double in five of them &ndash; a feat that, for almost any other player, would be hailed as an early-season masterpiece. For Jokic nowadays though, it barely makes noise &ndash; or so we thought.&nbsp;
His latest line &ndash; 33 points, 15 rebounds, and 16 assists in a win over the Miami Heat &ndash; came and went without much fanfare. No major debates, no viral clips, just another Nikola Jokic game.
It raises a sobering question: Have we started taking Nikola Jokic for granted?
When greatness becomes routine
In a league dominated by storylines, Jokic has somehow become background noise. There&rsquo;s the buzz surrounding Oklahoma City&rsquo;s rise to their dynasty aspirations, led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander&rsquo;s another MVP-level play. There&rsquo;s Victor Wembanyama&rsquo;s historic two-way surge, Luka Doncic torching defenses nightly, and Giannis Antetokounmpo reclaiming his MVP momentum as the Bucks return back into contention. Amid all this, Jokic continues to produce at a level that would define other players&rsquo; careers &ndash; and yet, it&rsquo;s treated as business as usual.
Maybe that&rsquo;s the curse of consistency. Jokic has been performing at an MVP standard for six straight years, making extraordinary basketball look almost effortless. His greatness has lost its novelty, not its effectiveness. The NBA world seems to have reached the point where a 25-12-12 stat line is expected out of him night in and night out, and anything less is considered an off night.
That kind of expectation can only mean one thing: we might have grown numb to the brilliance of the Joker.
Jokic&rsquo;s game defies conventional flash. He doesn&rsquo;t soar above defenders, doesn&rsquo;t scream after dunks, and rarely demands attention. Instead, he dissects opponents with surgical precision &ndash; manipulating angles, finding shooters, and bending defenses until they break.&nbsp;
He makes the hardest parts of basketball look like second nature. And perhaps because of that, his dominance no longer shocks us.
Watch him closely, though, and it&rsquo;s clear this is not normal. No one in NBA history has combined this kind of scoring efficiency, playmaking creativity, and rebounding control in one body. Jokic&rsquo;s blend of power and patience, vision and touch, feels like something out of a different era &ndash; or maybe a different dimension.
Yet, somehow, it doesn&rsquo;t dominate the discourse anymore the way it once did.
<h3>The cost of familiarity</h3>
It&rsquo;s possible that &lsquo;voter fatigue&rsquo; has caught up with Jokic &ndash; not just in award voting, but in the public consciousness. When a player sustains greatness for this long, the conversation naturally shifts elsewhere. The media and fans often chase new narratives, new stars, new sensations. Jokic, who&rsquo;s been doing this for years, no longer fits the mold of &ldquo;breaking news.&rdquo;
But it&rsquo;s worth remembering: he&rsquo;s still the best player in basketball.
Since 2019, Jokic has averaged roughly 26 points, 12 rebounds, and 9 assists per game while leading the Denver Nuggets to sustained success, including the 2023 NBA Championship &ndash; a run that stamped his legacy as one of the all-time greats. And yet, even as he keeps doing it, his name often fades into the background of louder storylines.
The truth is, we&rsquo;ve normalized his greatness to the point where we no longer fully appreciate it. It&rsquo;s not that Jokic has gotten worse &ndash; it&rsquo;s that everyone else has gotten louder.
Led by Jokic, Nuggets quietly creep up atop the West
Part of the reason Jokic&rsquo;s brilliance flies under the radar is the Nuggets&rsquo; quiet offseason. While other teams made splashy moves &ndash; like Kevin Durant&rsquo;s shocking arrival in Houston &ndash; Denver operated with surgical precision rather than spectacle.
They brought back a familiar face in Bruce Brown, a key piece of their 2023 title run. Brown&rsquo;s return instantly reestablishes the defensive edge and chemistry that made Denver so complete during their championship push. His connection with Jokic is instinctive; he knows exactly when and where to cut, and Jokic always finds him.
The Nuggets also made a subtle but meaningful trade &ndash; flipping Michael Porter Jr. for Cameron Johnson. At first glance, it might seem like a downgrade in talent, but in practice, it could be an upgrade in fit. Johnson&rsquo;s spacing, unselfishness, and commitment to role-playing perfectly complement Jokic&rsquo;s system. He won&rsquo;t hijack possessions or hunt shots; he&rsquo;ll move, shoot, and defend &ndash; the exact formula that maximizes Jokic&rsquo;s playmaking brilliance.
Denver also finally addressed one of their lingering issues: the lack of a dependable backup center. The addition of Jonas Valanciunas gives them that stability. A bruising interior presence and elite screener, Valanciunas allows Denver to stay afloat when Jokic sits &ndash; a problem that&rsquo;s haunted them for years. He&rsquo;s also a sneaky-good passer, keeping Denver&rsquo;s dribble-handoff flow alive in bench units.
And perhaps the most underrated move of all is not a move at all: the return of a healthy Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon. Both have battled injuries during previous playoff runs, but when on the floor, they complete Denver&rsquo;s identity. Murray&rsquo;s two-man game with Jokic remains one of the most unstoppable actions in basketball, while Gordon&rsquo;s cutting, defense, and athleticism balance the Nuggets on both ends.
Another quiet storyline is their head coach David Adelman. After taking over midseason last year, Adelman has done an exceptional job keeping the Nuggets grounded and disciplined. His defensive tweaks and trust in player development have kept Denver sharp despite roster transitions. He doesn&rsquo;t seek the spotlight &ndash; much like Jokic &ndash; but his influence is felt in the team&rsquo;s structure, chemistry, and accountability.
Adelman has embraced what makes Jokic special: freedom within a framework. Denver plays through Jokic at all times, but it never feels forced. The rhythm of the offense &ndash; cuts, screens, spacing &ndash; is organic, built on years of familiarity and trust.
While the Thunder, Lakers, Spurs, and Rockets dominate headlines, the Nuggets are quietly creeping back into the Western Conference&rsquo;s top tier. It&rsquo;s easy to forget that Denver was one win away from eliminating the eventual champion Oklahoma City Thunder last postseason.
Now, with a more balanced roster, better depth, and a refreshed core, they&rsquo;re poised to make another deep run. And at the center of it all &ndash; both literally and figuratively &ndash; is Nikola Jokic, still orchestrating everything with unmatched control.
He&rsquo;s still the engine, still the mind, still the heartbeat of Denver basketball. And yet, somehow, we&rsquo;ve stopped talking about him.
<h3>The normalization of the extraordinary</h3>
Maybe that&rsquo;s the price of sustained brilliance &ndash; to be so consistently excellent that the world stops noticing.&nbsp;
But history will remember what the present often overlooks. Jokic isn&rsquo;t just putting up big numbers; he&rsquo;s reshaping what we thought possible for a big man.
One day, when we look back, we&rsquo;ll realize these seasons weren&rsquo;t normal. They were masterpieces hiding in plain sight.
Nikola Jokic hasn&rsquo;t fallen off &ndash; if anything, he&rsquo;s still climbing. It&rsquo;s the rest of us who&rsquo;ve forgotten to look up.

There was a time when every Nikola Jokic triple-double was a headline. Now, it&rsquo;s just another night in the NBA.
Through the first seven games of the season, Jokic has recorded a triple-double in five of them &ndash; a feat that, for almost any other player, would be hailed as an early-season masterpiece. For Jokic nowadays though, it barely makes noise &ndash; or so we thought.&nbsp;
His latest line &ndash; 33 points, 15 rebounds, and 16 assists in a win over the Miami Heat &ndash; came and went without much fanfare. No major debates, no viral clips, just another Nikola Jokic game.
It raises a sobering question: Have we started taking Nikola Jokic for granted?
When greatness becomes routine
In a league dominated by storylines, Jokic has somehow become background noise. There&rsquo;s the buzz surrounding Oklahoma City&rsquo;s rise to their dynasty aspirations, led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander&rsquo;s another MVP-level play. There&rsquo;s Victor Wembanyama&rsquo;s historic two-way surge, Luka Doncic torching defenses nightly, and Giannis Antetokounmpo reclaiming his MVP momentum as the Bucks return back into contention. Amid all this, Jokic continues to produce at a level that would define other players&rsquo; careers &ndash; and yet, it&rsquo;s treated as business as usual.
Maybe that&rsquo;s the curse of consistency. Jokic has been performing at an MVP standard for six straight years, making extraordinary basketball look almost effortless. His greatness has lost its novelty, not its effectiveness. The NBA world seems to have reached the point where a 25-12-12 stat line is expected out of him night in and night out, and anything less is considered an off night.
That kind of expectation can only mean one thing: we might have grown numb to the brilliance of the Joker.
Jokic&rsquo;s game defies conventional flash. He doesn&rsquo;t soar above defenders, doesn&rsquo;t scream after dunks, and rarely demands attention. Instead, he dissects opponents with surgical precision &ndash; manipulating angles, finding shooters, and bending defenses until they break.&nbsp;
He makes the hardest parts of basketball look like second nature. And perhaps because of that, his dominance no longer shocks us.
Watch him closely, though, and it&rsquo;s clear this is not normal. No one in NBA history has combined this kind of scoring efficiency, playmaking creativity, and rebounding control in one body. Jokic&rsquo;s blend of power and patience, vision and touch, feels like something out of a different era &ndash; or maybe a different dimension.
Yet, somehow, it doesn&rsquo;t dominate the discourse anymore the way it once did.
The cost of familiarity
It&rsquo;s possible that &lsquo;voter fatigue&rsquo; has caught up with Jokic &ndash; not just in award voting, but in the public consciousness. When a player sustains greatness for this long, the conversation naturally shifts elsewhere. The media and fans often chase new narratives, new stars, new sensations. Jokic, who&rsquo;s been doing this for years, no longer fits the mold of &ldquo;breaking news.&rdquo;
But it&rsquo;s worth remembering: he&rsquo;s still the best player in basketball.
Since 2019, Jokic has averaged roughly 26 points, 12 rebounds, and 9 assists per game while leading the Denver Nuggets to sustained success, including the 2023 NBA Championship &ndash; a run that stamped his legacy as one of the all-time greats. And yet, even as he keeps doing it, his name often fades into the background of louder storylines.
The truth is, we&rsquo;ve normalized his greatness to the point where we no longer fully appreciate it. It&rsquo;s not that Jokic has gotten worse &ndash; it&rsquo;s that everyone else has gotten louder.
Led by Jokic, Nuggets quietly creep up atop the West
Part of the reason Jokic&rsquo;s brilliance flies under the radar is the Nuggets&rsquo; quiet offseason. While other teams made splashy moves &ndash; like Kevin Durant&rsquo;s shocking arrival in Houston &ndash; Denver operated with surgical precision rather than spectacle.
They brought back a familiar face in Bruce Brown, a key piece of their 2023 title run. Brown&rsquo;s return instantly reestablishes the defensive edge and chemistry that made Denver so complete during their championship push. His connection with Jokic is instinctive; he knows exactly when and where to cut, and Jokic always finds him.
The Nuggets also made a subtle but meaningful trade &ndash; flipping Michael Porter Jr. for Cameron Johnson. At first glance, it might seem like a downgrade in talent, but in practice, it could be an upgrade in fit. Johnson&rsquo;s spacing, unselfishness, and commitment to role-playing perfectly complement Jokic&rsquo;s system. He won&rsquo;t hijack possessions or hunt shots; he&rsquo;ll move, shoot, and defend &ndash; the exact formula that maximizes Jokic&rsquo;s playmaking brilliance.
Denver also finally addressed one of their lingering issues: the lack of a dependable backup center. The addition of Jonas Valanciunas gives them that stability. A bruising interior presence and elite screener, Valanciunas allows Denver to stay afloat when Jokic sits &ndash; a problem that&rsquo;s haunted them for years. He&rsquo;s also a sneaky-good passer, keeping Denver&rsquo;s dribble-handoff flow alive in bench units.
And perhaps the most underrated move of all is not a move at all: the return of a healthy Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon. Both have battled injuries during previous playoff runs, but when on the floor, they complete Denver&rsquo;s identity. Murray&rsquo;s two-man game with Jokic remains one of the most unstoppable actions in basketball, while Gordon&rsquo;s cutting, defense, and athleticism balance the Nuggets on both ends.
Another quiet storyline is their head coach David Adelman. After taking over midseason last year, Adelman has done an exceptional job keeping the Nuggets grounded and disciplined. His defensive tweaks and trust in player development have kept Denver sharp despite roster transitions. He doesn&rsquo;t seek the spotlight &ndash; much like Jokic &ndash; but his influence is felt in the team&rsquo;s structure, chemistry, and accountability.
Adelman has embraced what makes Jokic special: freedom within a framework. Denver plays through Jokic at all times, but it never feels forced. The rhythm of the offense &ndash; cuts, screens, spacing &ndash; is organic, built on years of familiarity and trust.
While the Thunder, Lakers, Spurs, and Rockets dominate headlines, the Nuggets are quietly creeping back into the Western Conference&rsquo;s top tier. It&rsquo;s easy to forget that Denver was one win away from eliminating the eventual champion Oklahoma City Thunder last postseason.
Now, with a more balanced roster, better depth, and a refreshed core, they&rsquo;re poised to make another deep run. And at the center of it all &ndash; both literally and figuratively &ndash; is Nikola Jokic, still orchestrating everything with unmatched control.
He&rsquo;s still the engine, still the mind, still the heartbeat of Denver basketball. And yet, somehow, we&rsquo;ve stopped talking about him.
The normalization of the extraordinary
Maybe that&rsquo;s the price of sustained brilliance &ndash; to be so consistently excellent that the world stops noticing.&nbsp;
But history will remember what the present often overlooks. Jokic isn&rsquo;t just putting up big numbers; he&rsquo;s reshaping what we thought possible for a big man.
One day, when we look back, we&rsquo;ll realize these seasons weren&rsquo;t normal. They were masterpieces hiding in plain sight.
Nikola Jokic hasn&rsquo;t fallen off &ndash; if anything, he&rsquo;s still climbing. It&rsquo;s the rest of us who&rsquo;ve forgotten to look up.

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Has Nikola Jokic become underrated?

In what looks like a revitalized stretch of form, Russell Westbrook has strung together consecutive standout performances &ndash; and in the process has officially become the all-time rebound leader among guards in NBA history. For a career that&rsquo;s often defined by triple-doubles and explosive scoring, this rebounding milestone arrives as yet another testament to his versatility.
Westbrook has pulled down more rebounds than any other guard in NBA history, putting him ahead of legendary guard Jason Kidd and others in the category.
Over his last two appearances, Westbrook showed flashes of the dynamism that defined his prime. Westbrook had 26 points, 12 rebounds, and 6 assists against the Nuggets, then followed it up with a triple-double vs the Warriors (23 points, 16 rebounds, 10 assists).
Westbrook&rsquo;s improved efficiency, stronger rebounding presence and better decision-making has helped the Kings immensely this season.&nbsp;
This uptick is notable given the context. At age 37 (soon to turn 38), and after moving between several teams in recent years, many had projected Westbrook&rsquo;s output to decline. But these recent games suggest the veteran guard still has steps and instincts that can impact the game beyond scoring.
From a historical perspective, ranking as the top rebounder among all guards is significant. Guards are seldom celebrated for rebounding totals, so for Westbrook to carve that niche underscores his will, athleticism and longevity.&nbsp;
It adds an important dimension to his legacy. While his scoring, assists and triple-doubles have been forever etched, this rebounding title reinforces his all-around influence on the game.
Becoming the all-time rebounding guard leader is a milestone befitting Westbrook&rsquo;s career arc. If this recent surge is more than a flash, it might signal a final chapter of meaningful production from one of the NBA&rsquo;s most dynamic guards.

In what looks like a revitalized stretch of form, Russell Westbrook has strung together consecutive standout performances.

Russell Westbrook reignites play, becomes all-time rebounding guard leader

Mon Anthony Valmoria is the lead NBA writer for BasketballNews.com.&nbsp;