"There's always some artist from somewhere" - Tyson Chandler thinks Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic are the blueprint for the next wave

Yahoo

6 hours ago

"There's always some artist from somewhere" - Tyson Chandler thinks Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic are the blueprint for the next wave originally appeared on Basketball Network.
We live in an era where all-around players are at their peak, and the two who have elevated it to unimaginable heights in the past few seasons are Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic.
The two of them are practically the same type of player, just in different positions. While Doncic is a guard who often backs down opponents in the post, where he's physically stronger but also smarter thanks to his high IQ, simply reading what the defense gives him, Jokic, on the other hand, often brings the ball up past half-court like a point guard and sets the plays.
This type of positionless basketball started when LeBron James came to the league, followed by James Harden and Russell Westbrook. But the level on which the two Europeans are performing is something the league has never seen before. Jokic practically breaks Wilt Chamberlain's records on any given night. At the same time, Luka is well on his way in that direction with some spectacular performances of his own.
Tyson Chandler spoke with Eurohoops about the two when talking about the impact they will leave on the new wave of U.S. players.
"Jokic plays the game differently than anybody we've ever seen," he said. "Luka plays the game differently than anybody we've ever seen. It's these players that now are going to give American players something to look at. The game continues to evolve, and there's always some artist from somewhere. That's why I think the game needs to be global, because who knows where that artist, that athlete, that inspires the next generation — that revolutionizes the game — comes from."
Both already have accomplishments in their careers
We all know that every player has someone they modeled their game after, and watching The Joker, how fluid he is on the court, but also dominant, is like seeing a combination of Arvydas Sabonis and Toni Kukoc on the floor.
As for Luka Magic, you could say he's like the perfect mix of Kukoc and Drazen Petrovic, because even though he plays entirely off his IQ, he has that killer instinct to "kill" anyone in front of him, in the sporting sense.
Like those players from the '90s opened doors for today's stars, Chandler's point that Jokic and Doncic will influence the next generation of U.S. players makes perfect sense.
Not only are they great, they also have flair in their game, that streetball rhythm, and that's exactly how most kids get into basketball, imitating their favorite players' moves on the school playground.
On top of that, both already have accomplishments in their careers, especially Jokic. There's probably no better current example if you care about winning. His game truly offers everything. Post-ups, back-to-the-basket, mid-range, three-pointers, he has it all. Because of his insane passing, people often forget just how dominant he is as a scorer.
But back to the influence they'll have. Both have a little bit of Bulls legend in their games. When Pau Gasol once spoke about who influenced his style, Kukoc was his motivation to one day make it to the NBA.
"My guy growing up was Toni Kukoc. I was able to call him and he accepted the honour to be my presenter (HOF introduction)," Gasol said on The Why with Dwyane Wade podcast.
"You know, growing up in Europe, he was the kind of a guy that stood out for me. He was very versatile. Even though he was a lefty. Toni went on to join the Bulls, the '92 Olympics had a big impact — he was the guy that was up and coming. And obviously the Bulls and MJ also had an effect, but Toni was kind of a guy who I wanted to emulate and kind of follow the steps and inspired me to get to the NBA and follow that path," he added.Jokic and Doncic today are the full package
Pau was also one of the biggest winners this game has ever seen, just like Kukoc, Jokic and Doncic. Luka already has EuroLeague and EuroBasket titles to his name and only needs an NBA ring to complete his collection.
Jokic has already earned his NBA championship, while Gasol and Kukoc won both with their national teams and in the NBA, and on top of that, they could truly do everything on the floor.
From that perspective, Chandler is right when he says U.S. players should look up to them because they have every reason to. They play the game the right way, with fundamentals, but also in a way that wins. Today, Jokic and Doncic are what we call the full package, true role models.This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Aug 19, 2025, where it first appeared.