Nikola Jokic is called the Joker for a reason, with the Nuggets star ribbing comedian Kevin Hart during All-Star weekend.

Jokic could be right. The NBA might be at a point where players simply do not care about the All-Star Game, and the league might just have to accept that. Jokic is one of the prime examples, as one of the league's biggest superstars gives little-to-no effort in the star-studded exhibition match.

As Nikola Jokic takes the stage in his seventh NBA All-Star Game, here are some of the athletes he admired from his childhood to the early stages of his career. The Denver Post asked three of