Today, on Nikola Jokic’s 26th birthday, I thought it was only right to show my appreciation of the Serbian big man.

While some call him the Joker, others call him Big Honey, and his teammates are just happy he’s "handing out free cheeseburgers", Nikola Jokic is arguably the most transcendent player, in one of the most transcendent eras of basketball, we’ve ever seen. With more attempted and made 3’s than ever before, and with an ever increasing emphasis on positionless basketball, the Joker stands out amongst the rest. He truly is a "Point-Center."

But that doesn’t even begin to describe the pure uniqueness of his game. The impeccable footwork in the paint. The unorthodox way he gets the ball to go in the basket. It’s like watching a car crash and a beautiful symphony happen all at once. This has culminated in one of the most efficient scorers in NBA history. It took about halfway through his rookie season to get used to his herky jerky way of putting the ball in the basket. Every shot it was, "no, no, no, no, noooo!" Until it went through the hoop, and then it was like, "that was weird, but kind of cool." Of course, that was before fans realized that every time he touched the ball, offensive excellence was about to be displayed.

Six years later, he still has that in his game, but now he mixes it with what can only be described as beautiful shot making. Fadeaways, mid range jumpers (maybe not "jumpers" per se), moonball 3 pointers (Seriously, I don’t know if they have a metric for this, but Jokic has to have the highest average-arching shot in NBA history, right?), and so much more. Sometimes it even feels like he’s toying with the game. How many times have we seen him throw the ball at the basket, with no intent of actually making the shot, but having it deflect off the backboard in such a way that he’s in a perfect position to convert on a layup. This has to happen at least once a game. It’s the Joker, delivering on his nickname. And with all of this god given scoring ability. All of these unique ways he puts the ball through the hoop. We haven’t even discussed the craziest part of his game…

The passing.

Oh man, the passing.

Sometimes I wish Jokic had a last name sounding less like the Joker and more like the Wizard (apparently Wizic isn’t a very common last name in Serbia), because I swear this dude is pure magic. We’ve all seen the highlights. The bounce passes between the defenders legs. The wrap-around-the-defender slingers to the corner. The full court heaves that make you legitimately question, with his size and arm strength, why the Broncos haven’t pursued the man to take snaps behind center. All done incredibly while rarely looking at his target. He’s not just the "best passing big man" in the NBA, he’s arguably the best passer, period. At the very least, he’s the most creative. I could go on and on about this man’s passing ability, but I’ll save you the time. Just go search "Nikola Jokic Passing" on YouTube. You won’t be disappointed.

I’m amazed every game I watch this man play. I haven’t even mentioned the fact that he’s more than likely the least athletic player in the NBA. Last year, and this is true, he had more triple doubles than dunks. How absurd is that? We’re never going to see anything like this ever again. That’s why I have so much trouble comparing him to anyone. I hear the Larry Bird comparisons a lot. I can see it. But still, he’s different. I’ve also heard Bill Walton, Arvydas Sabonis, and Dirk Nowitzki. Basically, any white guy that can shoot and pass.

But every time I think about a comparison for the Joker, I can’t help falling back on the same thought. There is none. There’s never been anyone like Nikola Jokic before, and I doubt there’ll ever be again. That’s why, on his 26th birthday, we need to appreciate the magician we’re witnessing on the floor every night in a Nuggets uniform.

Happy birthday Joker. You truly are, one of a kind.