Eddie Johnson: We anointed Nikola Jokic too quickly. He doesn't sit at the table with the all-time greats yet

Since around 2008, it is downright difficult for me to place tremendously gifted basketball players (like Nikola Jokic ) among the greats of the game. Why? Well, I will not delve too deeply into it, but if you know and have followed me over the years, you know that I am not a fan of extreme analytics.

See, basketball used to have a hierarchy of expectations and judgments. I learned a lot from the great Larry Bird , and it wasn't from him and me having a normal conversation; it was from him and me bantering back and forth competing in a game. Out of all the nasty things we said to each other, there was one thing he said that hit home like a rock.

I was in the process of having a very good offensive game against him when I was playing with the Kings. I gave him a head fake and got him off his feet. I must admit I did not care about making the basket.

All I cared about was driving the ball through his face, and I did, and the ball went in as well. I remember this like yesterday. I was laughing because in my mind I got the best of him when he said, "All you can do is score.