Nuggets' Mike Malone Compares 'Selfless Superstar' Nikola Jokić to Tim Duncan

Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone sees shades of another unassuming superstar in center Nikola Jokić.

"I never coached Tim Duncan, but I always compare him to Tim Duncan," Malone said to ESPN's Ramona Shelburne. "He's just a selfless superstar who's almost embarrassed by the attention.

"He's not beating his chest, saying, 'Look at me.' He's saying: 'Hey, look at us. This is a group.'"

Jokić and Duncan certainly aren't all that similar on the court.

Duncan was a prototypical big man in that he stuck close to the basket and didn't go above and beyond to facilitate the offense. Jokić, on the other hand, made more three-pointers this year (57) than the San Antonio Spurs legend did over his entire career (30), and he's averaging more than double the assists (6.6) Duncan did (3.0).

But the pair have a similarly stoic demeanor, and neither was all that enamored with building a big profile away from the court.

Jokić himself has already said he "want(s) to be the Tim Duncan of the Denver Nuggets." He added he needed to become an NBA champion before he could fully earn the parallel.

Whether it reinforces the Duncan comparison or not, the two-time MVP is four wins away from getting his first title, and that achievement would change how many fans view him within an all-time context.