Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) controls the ball against Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) during the first quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

4x NBA All-Star, Ex-Nuggets Player Makes Unexpected Jokic, Embiid Statement

Originally posted on Denver Nuggets on SI
By Farbod Esnaashari | Last updated 10/16/24

Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

DeMarcus Cousins was once the best big man in the NBA and arguably one of the best centers in the 2010s. During his last stop before ultimately leaving the league, he played for the Denver Nuggets.

Despite Cousins' familiarity with Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets, he surprisingly doesn't have Jokic listed as the best center in the NBA.

During an interview on FanDuel TV's Run It Back show, the former Nuggets big man ranked his best centers in the NBA.

"But for me, it's Joel, Jokic, Bam, AD, Wemby," Cousins said.

Demarcus Cousins’ top-5 centers in the #NBA:

1. Joel Embiid
2. Nikola Jokic
3. Bam Adebayo
4. Anthony Davis
5. Victor Wembanyama @RunItBackFDTV | @boogiecousins pic.twitter.com/FY8DObFs1g
— FanDuel TV (@FanDuelTV) October 15, 2024

DeMarcus Cousins has personally played with both Nikola Jokic and Anthony Davis but hasn't played with Joel Embiid, Bam Adebayo, and Victor Wembanyama. With that in mind, it's hard to hear him place Jokic below Embiid, and also place Anthony Davis below Bam Adebayo.

It does feel like every single offseason creates another Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid debate. The debate should have clearly ended when Nikola Jokic won an NBA Finals MVP and an NBA Championship, but somehow it didn't.

Nikola Jokic's accolades include being a 3x NBA MVP, 1x NBA Finals MVP, 1x NBA Champion, 6x NBA All-Star, and 4x All-NBA First Team member. Joel Embiid's accolades include being a 1x NBA MVP, 7x NBA All-Star, and a 1x All-NBA First team member.

Both Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid have had some very loaded teams, with Embiid being the one to have multiple All-Star teammates, but only one player has won a championship.

This article first appeared on Denver Nuggets on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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