NBA Most Valuable Player title goes to Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets

The 29-year-old Serbian player, who took home the trophy in 2021 and 2022, came in second to Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid in the voting in 2023, but he was gratified to have guided the Nuggets to their first NBA championship.

He defeated Dallas Mavericks player Luka Doncic and Oklahoma City Thunder player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the final voting for the award. This season, he averaged 26.4 points, 12.4 rebounds, and 9.0 assists in the regular season.

“We must begin with our teammates. When asked to consider yet another MVP, Jokic responded, “Without them, I cannot do anything,” at the TNT MVP announcement show.

“I wouldn’t be where I am today without the support of coaches, players, organisations, medical personnel, across-time coaches, and development coaches—they are all part of one large circle.”

In a different campaign where he succeeded in making genius appear practically ordinary, he became the second player in history to record 2,000 points, 900 rebounds, and 600 assists in one season, following Oscar Robertson.

He had 68 double-doubles and 25 triple-doubles, which was second in the league only to Domantas Sabonis of the Sacramento Kings (26 and 77, respectively).

Jokic also reaches elite status with a third MVP title.

With his six MVPs, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar holds the record. Michael Jordan and Bill Russell both took home five, while LeBron James and Wilt Chamberlain each took home four.

With 79 first-place votes, Jokic becomes the third-time winner following Moses Malone, Larry Bird, and Magic Johnson received 15, and Gilgeous-Alexander and Doncic received 4.

As usual, there was a lot of room for debate on the MVP award.

However, Jokic did not take offence when it was mentioned in the TNT interview that Gilgeous-Alexander would have been a more deserving winner.

“Many players are deserving of it,” he stated. “It’s probably the little things and the details.”

For the surging Oklahoma City, 25-year-old Canadian guard Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 30.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, 6.2 assists, and 2.0 steals per game. He also had a league-high 51 30-point games.

With 33.9 points per game, Slovenia’s Doncic led the league in scoring. Tyrese Haliburton of the Indiana Pacers led the league in assists with 9.8 per game.

However, Mike Malone, the coach of the Nuggets, was certain that Jokic deservedly earned his third MVP award.

“I’m not sure if I can adequately express the depth of his greatness,” he remarked.

“He doesn’t wake up in the morning seeking attention and special recognition for himself. His motivation is to help the group succeed and potentially win another championship. That’s his main focus.

That’s what I find astounding. Simply said, his unwavering brilliance and his ability to elevate every single night, regardless of who is present, are what make him so exceptional.

The Minnesota Timberwolves defeated the Nuggets in the first two games of their Western Conference semifinal series. Beginning on May 10, the Nuggets will have the difficult challenge of attempting to rally on the Timberwolves’ home court. Reuters and AFP