Few players in the NBA can say they’ve played with two of the greatest of all time like LeBron James and Nikola Jokic, but Kentavious Caldwell-Pope can. Caldwell-Pope was a starter on both the Los Angeles Lakers team that won the championship in 2020 and the Denver Nuggets team that was crowned champion in 2023, and interestingly, both teams met in the Western Conference Finals in those seasons.
LeBron and Jokic are two of the best passers the NBA have ever seen, especially for their size, and they make life a lot easier for their teammates with their high IQs and ability to create wide-open shots. Caldwell-Pope has greatly benefited from playing with both players and sees many similarities between them.
Caldwell-Pope recently revealed that the Nuggets felt the Lakers should have beaten them last season, noting that they were ahead at halftime in every game. The Lakers led by double digits in three of their four losses as well, but they just couldn’t hold the lead and while most would simply say the better team won, apparently even the victors aren’t sure that was the case.
What did Caldwell-Pope say about LeBron and Jokic?
Caldwell-Pope recently appeared on “The Draymond Green Show” and praised LeBron and Jokic for making the game much easier and improving his career by playing with them on the Lakers and Nuggets, respectively: “You see Bron on the ball mostly, bringing the ball up, even though Jokic can do the same thing, point-five. The two guys man, they demand attention as soon as they check the ball in and I just fed off that. I knew them guys would have so much attention on them and I was either gonna get a wide-open shot or we create a wide-open shot and now the defense gotta move because somebody’s open… What made it so much easier, and that’s why I say I don’t see a difference between the two, their IQ is out this world.”
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope #5 of the Denver Nuggets drives against D’Angelo Russell #1 of the Los Angeles Lakers on a pick by Nikola Jokic #15 in the third quarter during game one of the Western Conference First Round Playoffs at Ball Arena. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
“They can shoot, and they have an all-around game. I would say for me, what made my career great playing with them, like they were willing to pass the ball when you open. I don’t care what type of pass it was, if you open, they’re gonna try to get it to you. All I had to do was be ready to shoot. Kudos to both of them guys, they made my career better later in my years. Them my brothers.” Caldwell-Pope added.
Although there are some physical differences between the two, the similarities in how they see the game and can control everything with their vision and passing certainly stand out. For Caldwell-Pope, what sets him apart is his willingness and ability to pass the ball from any angle on the court, using either hand.
At that point, as he said, all Caldwell-Pope has to do is be ready to shoot when the ball comes in and he always is, so he was an integral part of the Lakers and Nuggets’ championships.
