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Draymond lauds Jokic after Warriors dispatch Nuggets: 'He made me better'

Noah Graham / National Basketball Association / Getty

Draymond Green had nothing but praise for Nikola Jokic after the Golden State Warriors eliminated the star center and the Denver Nuggets from the postseason Wednesday.

"Absolutely incredible player. It's the reason he was the MVP last year, and that's probably the reason he's gonna be MVP again this year," Green told NBC Sports following Golden State's 102-98 Game 5 win. "I mean, it was absolutely amazing to play against him.

"He made me better, and I'm very thankful to have that matchup, to continue to improve myself as a basketball player."

The two opposing big men shared a hug and had a brief conversation on the court after the final buzzer, with Jokic smiling during the exchange despite the loss.

"I just told him thank you for making me better," the Warriors forward told reporters postgame. "It's absolutely incredible to play against a guy like that. Incredible, incredible talent. ... I said 'It's an honor to play against someone so talented and so skilled.'

"Usually when you have guys that talented and that skilled, they're a little soft. He's far, far from soft. He's an absolutely incredible player."

Jokic registered 30 points, 19 rebounds, eight assists, two blocks, and a steal in Game 5, keeping an undermanned Denver squad in the contest until the final few possessions.

With at least one MVP award under his belt and only one more season left on his contract, the Serbian center will be eligible to sign an approximate $254-million, five-year super-max contract extension this summer. It would surpass the $228-million deal signed by Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo as the richest contract in NBA history.

Jokic confirmed he would sign the super-max if Denver offers it this offseason, which would tie him to the franchise through 2027-28.

"I would like it, of course. But it's not something that I'm deciding," he said, according to ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk.

"I think if (the) offer is on the table, of course I'm going to accept it because I really like the organization, I really like the people who works here. I'm in (a) really good relationship with everybody from (the) owner to equipment manager."

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