- Nov 15, 2007
- 7,906
- 2,187
People didn't hate Duncan either, and its mostly about what sort of relationship you have with media.
Jokic doesn't care about endorsements, he doesn't seek out media production or turn himself into a brand. He's done a commercial or two, he gives honest commentary but it doesn't seem like he has much care towards leveraging his basketball career for American commercial purposes. Even if they didn't do it to Bron's level, all those guys (steph, KD, Book) etc. now chase that because that's where American values are, always scaling up.
When guys specifically don't really care about that in the same way, they don't get the adulation but they also get less hate. Kids and bag twitter have you thinking Kobe was the undisputed GOAT of his era while no one even ever mentions Duncan anymore. Duncan much to the same of Jokic never really pursued commercial opportunities and for that same reason, never got the level of hype/accliam that Kobe got. Has less haters too.
I would even group Kawhi in that category too. Kawhi has two rings but has spent half the past decade injured and escapes a lot of flame for basically blowing the Clippers into oblivion.
Jokic doesn't care about endorsements, he doesn't seek out media production or turn himself into a brand. He's done a commercial or two, he gives honest commentary but it doesn't seem like he has much care towards leveraging his basketball career for American commercial purposes. Even if they didn't do it to Bron's level, all those guys (steph, KD, Book) etc. now chase that because that's where American values are, always scaling up.
When guys specifically don't really care about that in the same way, they don't get the adulation but they also get less hate. Kids and bag twitter have you thinking Kobe was the undisputed GOAT of his era while no one even ever mentions Duncan anymore. Duncan much to the same of Jokic never really pursued commercial opportunities and for that same reason, never got the level of hype/accliam that Kobe got. Has less haters too.
I would even group Kawhi in that category too. Kawhi has two rings but has spent half the past decade injured and escapes a lot of flame for basically blowing the Clippers into oblivion.