LeBron James Breaks Down Why Nikola Jokic is 'Most Complete' NBA Player He's Faced

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James explained why he believes Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokić is the best all-around offensive player he's ever faced.

"I will say this," James told co-host Steve Nash on his Mind the Game podcast (21:35 mark). "There has not been a more dominant complete player that I've played against in a sense of all the attributes that you just mentioned, from the passing to the shooting to the rebounding to the attention. There's nothing he cannot do on the offensive end. Like, nothing at all. Nothing."

Jokić has already put together an incredible NBA career at just 30 years old, with three MVP awards and seven All-Star nods under his belt. He also earned Finals MVP honors after leading Denver to a championship in 2023.

While Jokić narrowly missed out on his fourth MVP award last year, he still became the third player in NBA history to average a triple-double over the course of a full season by recording 29.6 points, 12.7 rebounds and 10.2 assists on a nightly basis.

He's picked up right where he left off to open his 2025-26 campaign, averaging 29.6 points, 12.8 rebounds and 11.1 assists per game on impressive 62.6/43.4/85.3 shooting splits.

James and Jokić have faced off 37 times in their respective NBA careers, including the playoffs. Jokić owns a 20-17 record against James, with the Nuggets eliminating the Lakers from the postseason in both 2023 and 2024.

The two also clashed in the 2024 Olympics, as Jokić nearly led Serbia to an upset victory over the United States in a semifinal clash before James helped Team USA overcome a 13-point deficit heading into the fourth quarter to emerge victorious.

While Jokić is an early contender for MVP once again this season, he received high praise from the NBA's all-time leading scorer.