“So Good, So Unselfish”: Former NBA Star Heaps Stunning Praise on Sarah Strong as Nikola Jokic Comparisons Heat Up 

Jamal Crawford showered Sarah Strong with immense praise after legendary coach Geno Auriemma compared the Huskies' rising star's game to Nikola Jokic. On Tuesday, a sports media outlet shared a video of Auriemma answering a question about Strong's NBA counterpart on Instagram.

The Huskies coach thought for a while before naming the Denver Nuggets superstar as the young talent's NBA match.

"If there was a player in the NBA that most resembled how Sarah plays, it would be the Joker for sure," Auriemma said.

Former NBA star Jamal Crawford agreed with the legendary coach's statement, offering his praise for the Huskies star in a comment.

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"Absolutely love her game. So good, so unselfish!" Crawford commented.

Jamal Crawford praises Sarah Strong's game. (Credits: @brwsportts/IG)

Sarah Strong is quickly becoming the team's superstar. Paigue Bueckers left that spot open for the Huskies players after she went to Dallas as the number one pick in the 2025 WNBA draft.

Strong is filling in that void week after week with her elite performances. The sophomore forward is averaging 17.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game on 56.8% shooting from the field. She has proven herself to be not only an incredible scorer but also an incredible passer who can spot her teammates in the open with the good looks that she creates.

She can run offenses all by herself in just a few passes. The post featured a video from one of Strong's recent games, in which she executed a signature Nikola Jokic play. The Huskies forward pushed the ball up during the fast break and passed it to the left wing before cutting inside from the key.

She then asked for the ball back near the paint. The opposing team threw three defenders at her, which freed Azzi Fudd on the perimeter. Strong received the ball in the paint and used her physicality to protect her before passing it to Fudd, who sank in a three. It was a play very similar to what Nikola Jokic has executed many times with the Nuggets.

Former NBA star showers Nikola Jokic with high praise after his 55-point masterpiece

Nikola Jokic exploded on the court on Wednesday as he helped his team secure a 130-116 win over the LA Clippers. The Joker finished the game with 55 points, 12 rebounds and six assists. He was the best player on the court and the Clippers couldn't do much to stop him.

On Friday's episode of "No Foul Given and Playmaker" podcast, Paul Pierce showered the Joker with high praise for his 55-piece.

"To watch how much smarter he is than everybody on the court, how much better he is,” he said. “It’s like he’s playing with kids, and these are NBA teams. I have a 12-year-old son, that’s what it looks like even today." (Timestamp: 21:20)

Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets are on a six-game win streak. They will face the Timberwolves as their next opponents on Saturday.

Edited by Avi Shravan