Watching Nikola Jokic Dominate Reminds Me Of Another Under-Appreciated, Under-Promoted All-Time Great: Stipe Miocic

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We just spent the last month hearing the same talking points over and over from every obnoxious talking head in the sports media world: Why don't people care about the Nuggets? Why doesn't Nikola Jokic get the respect he deserves? Is the NBA mad they got this matchup in the Finals? Will people tune in?

The irony of the situation is that these same people can make anyone and anything interesting if they decide to do so. A perfect example is how they turned Kahwi Leonard from a dull, no frills superstar into a slightly more consumable but still very fucking dull, no frills superstar. The laugh, the stoic stare, it all became part of the way the media decided to push his story and it worked.

So every time you hear a Max Kellerman or Mike Greenberg ask why Jokic isn't more loved and revered just remember this is what they are really saying…

As I watched this unfold over the last few weeks I couldnt help but be reminded of another superstar who has to be mentioned with the greats in his sport. An unassuming man that may lack the over-the-top personality that puts asses in the seats but more than makes up for it with superior skills, determination, and accomplishments.

A family man, a guy who you won't find at the club, who enjoys hard work outside his sport, who doesn't look all that different from the everyday average Joe. I'm of course talking about Stipe Miocic.

Setting aside the very obvious similarities (Croatian/Serbian) there are so many parallels between them it's actually insane. 

Both have played at a historically high level in their own sport. Both are multiple time champions. Both put their head down and work without too much fanfare. And both were criminally under-promoted.

I get that we as a society are drawn to the loudmouths, the braggarts, the showoffs. We love some top notch shit talking and love someone who can back it up even more. Most of the time it's because that's the thing we wish we were. Bigger than life and letting everyone know it along the way. 

The UFC is built around these guys. They sell fights. They literally pay the bills. And the NBA isn't much different. We love the Pat Bevs and we give nonstop coverage to the Dillon Brooks of the the world. We salivate every time KD talks shit to someone on Twitter. It's the entertainment factor that forces us to pick sides stay locked in.

But at some point people see through the marketing schemes and Twitter spats and all they want to see is greatness. Stipe with the most heavyweight title fight wins in history. Jokic with two NBA titles and what should have been a threepeat of MVP awards. Great is great no matter if it screams in your face while its happening or not. 

The sports world will fawn over Jokic and his disinterest in celebrating the title for the next few days. And then they will move along to the next clown honking his horn louder than the rest of the circus. Because that's the game. And yes I understand the irony that I am writing this on Barstoolsports.com. But I also give sports fans a lot more credit than most in this profession.

And it has already begun. The discrediting of what you just witnessed with your own two eyes as if you don't know any better. But I know that most of you with a brain won't fall for shit like this…

Because that's exactly what it is, shit. Shit that fills time while we wait for greatness to happen again. And if we're not careful we will get so wrapped up in the shit we don't realize the greatness is actually happening.

We just witnessed all-time level greatness. Let's appreciate it for a few moments before we unleash the clowns once again. A few moments is all Jokic is going to give us before he goes home to his family and horses anyway.