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Toronto Raptors at New York Knicks
2026-27 · Preseason · Preseason
Nikola Jokić ranks his behind-the-back dime to Cam Johnson as his personal favorite assist
Jokić told NBA staff his Oct. 4 behind-the-back pass to Cam Johnson would sit right on top of his all-time list — his personal favorite — while Johnson called the feed amazingly fast.
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DENVER — Oct. 14, 2026 — Nikola Jokić has thrown thousands of highlight assists. Asked where a new behind-the-back dime to Cam Johnson ranks, he did not hedge.
“(This one would) be right on top,” Jokić said while breaking the play down with NBA staff in recent days. “I think that’s my personal favorite.”
The read: Markkanen, then Johnson in the corner
The pass came in Denver’s preseason opener against Utah on Oct. 4. Jokić backed Lauri Markkanen into the strong-side corner, spotted Johnson along the baseline, and whipped a behind-the-back pass past three Jazz defenders into Johnson’s hands for an open three.
Johnson’s reaction as the recipient was just as blunt. “I didn’t have to move my hands,” he said. “Amazingly fast.”
Jokić said those kinds of passes often flash into his mind in the moment, but he still needs the practice reps so the window is there when the defense opens. The clip resurfaced this week as he and Johnson walked through the film with league staff — more than a week after Utah won the exhibition 109-97.
Why a preseason assist sits at the top
Jokić entered the week with 6,080 career assists, good for No. 41 on the NBA’s all-time list. He has stacked no-look feeds, touch passes and cross-court deliveries across three MVP seasons and a championship. Calling this one his personal favorite is less about box-score weight — seven assists in 15 minutes that night — and more about the geometry: a center seeing the opposite corner before help can rotate, then delivering the ball while still engaged with Markkanen.
Why it matters
Denver’s offense still runs through Jokić’s vision even when the games do not count. Johnson is the new spacer on the end of that pass. Ranking a October 4 exhibition feed above a career’s worth of dimes is a player telling you what he values this season: the read that makes a teammate’s catch automatic. The Nuggets close preseason and open the regular season with that standard already on tape.
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