"Ya'll compare anyone to Jokic nowadays": Hoops fans react to 7'1" high school star Arafan Diane's NBA comparison

Arafan Diane, a four-star prospect in the 2026 class, is gaining traction for his huge potential and skill set. Standing 7-foot-1 and 260 pounds, he is an imposing presence who can impact the game on both ends of the court.

On Sunday, Overtime posted a video of Diane on Instagram, promoting the young center and his budding basketball career and asking fans if he can become the next Nikola Jokić, who plays for the Denver Nuggets in the NBA.

The video shows the Guinea native’s footwork, shooting ability and his dominance around the rim. The voiceover compared Diane to Jokic and Shaquille O'Neal. He is relatively new to the game, having picked up basketball at 12 years old.

"(Arafan Diane) is putting up video game numbers — like 2002 Shaq ... His coaches now call him the "African Jokic" because of his impressive footwork and soft touch around the rim. But what truly separates him is his killer mindset," the voiceover in the video said.

Hoops fans had mixed reactions to the comparison and shared their thoughts in the comments section.

"Y’all compare anyone to Jokic nowadays 😂💔," one fan wrote.

"how many times am i going to see a post saying the next jokic," a fan said.

"how many “new jokic” is out there like you guys sharing clips of new jokic every months 💀," another added.

"Plays nothing like jokic," one fan commented.

"Enough with the disrespect. Jokic is an all time great," another stated.

"@overtime You mean Jokic+ cause he dunks everything," one more chimed in.

Fans commented on Instagram (@overtime/IG)

Arafan Diane's former coach compares him to Nikola Jokic for good reason

Although every once in a while, there is a high school prospect with tantalizing potential and people rush to compare them to NBA legends, Arafan Diane's comparison to Nikola Jokic comes from a credible source.

Alex Victor, who used to coach Diane at Dynastie Prep, pointed out that the youngster has lots of similarities with the Denver Nuggets star.

"He has the size. He has the strength. He has the court vision. He sees the open man. He can pass the ball. He can play high-low. He can stretch the floor now. He shoots threes," Victor told Hoops HQ. "So to me, the closest thing to him, and when we first got him people were saying baby Shaq, but I think Jokic is more accurate."

According to 247 Sports, Arafan Diane has received 19 offers from colleges such as Arizona, Arkansas, BYU, Florida, Houston and UConn.