Nuggets center Nikola Jokic has been selected as the NBA’s Most Valuable Player for the third time in four years, the league announced (via Twitter).
Jokic won the Michael Jordan Trophy by a wide margin, showing up on all 99 ballots and collecting 79 votes for first place, 18 for second place and two for third place, giving him a total of 926 points. Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished second, collecting 640 total points by coming in first on 15 ballots, second on 40, third on 40, fourth on three and fifth on one.
Rounding out the top five were Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (4-36-50-8-0-566), Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (1-1-4-44-23-192) and Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (0-3-1-28-32-142).
Also receiving votes were Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0-0-1-14-39-89), Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (0-1-1-1-3-18), Kings center Domantas Sabonis (one fourth-place vote) and Suns forward Kevin Durant (one fifth-place vote).
Jokic becomes the ninth player to claim at least three MVP awards (Twitter link). He ties Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and Moses Malone, and trails only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (six), Michael Jordan and Bill Russell (five each), and Wilt Chamberlain and LeBron James (four each).
The Nuggets celebrated the honor by tweeting a video tribute to Jokic narrated by his wife, Natalija.
Jokic posted another outstanding statistical season, averaging 26.4 points, 12.4 rebounds and 9.0 assists in 79 games. He shot 58.3% from the field and 35.9% from three-point range as Denver claimed the second seed in the Western Conference.
Bennett Durando of The Denver Post took a closer look at Jokic’s historic season, noting that he finished fifth in the league in total points, third in total rebounds and second in total assists. He also collected 25 triple-doubles and posted a true shooting percentage above 65% for the third straight season while leading the NBA in most advanced stats, including PER, VORP, box plus-minus, and win shares.
“I think he’s stated his case pretty well,” Jamal Murray said today before the award was announced. “He does it every night. It’s hard to do what he does and face the kind of pressure that he does each and every day. He does it in the smallest ways. He makes everybody around us better. He’s a leader on the court and someone we expect greatness from every time he steps on the court. And he’s delivered. … He’s been so consistent all his career, all his MVP runs. He’s been so consistent. So I don’t expect one or two bad games to sway that in any way.”
Well deserved
Should have been 4 in a row! Congratulations
No it shouldn’t have been. I’m sorry but 2 years ago when he was the 6 seed and got bounced in round 1 he didn’t deserve it that year.
And your boy Embiid has never been past the second round in his career. Since when do playoff results influence regular season MVP?
Um exactly where did I say anything about Embiid? Maybe actually read what people say before you hop out the window like that.
To that point in NBA history a player that wasn’t on a team that was a 4th seed or higher was basically not eligible to win unless they did something that was a statistical anomaly I.e Westbrook the year he averaged a triple double for the first time since Oscar.
It’s so weird to me that Jokic is held to a different standard than any of the other 3x MVPs have been. Even in this current series that he and his team are getting dog walked in. There is very little talk about how Jokic has been a turn stile on defense and isn’t asserting himself offensively. Literally the best defensive player on the wolves didn’t play in game 2 and Jokic was absent while his team was getting smoked. Not a single 3x MVP would have dodged criticism after that but somehow all the media is talking about is how the other players on Denver aren’t helping him enough or they give credit to Ant Edward’s. If Jokic was really that guy people should hold him accountable for his team’s performance.
9 guys in league history have won MVP 3 times, why don’t you take a look at that list and compare those guys to Jokic.
Kobe and Shaq combined have 2 MVPs and Jokic has 3 does anyone on here think that makes any sense. But somehow this guys should have 4 in a row while during that stretch he’s won one championship but also gotten swept by the suns, beat in 5 games by the warriors and is going to be lucky to get to a game 5 against the wolves.
Guy is a very good player, he doesn’t not belong on the list with Jordan, Kareem, Magic, Lebron, Bird, Wilt, Russell, and Moses.
You are 100 percent right. Don’t listen to those two casuals up there
So you claim a guy shouldn’t win. Then become a smart ass when Embiid is talked about you know since he’s the only one who won an mvp during his streak. Then you ramble without giving an example of anyone who should have won. So you complained but who should have won instead?! Maybe get a clue next time before you post.
I was a smart ass because he was smart ass to me calling Embiid my boy. Maybe you should get a clue and actually read the interaction before inserting yourself.
if you would like a specific example the first year he won Giannis should’ve won and didn’t. Giannis had back to back MVPs but had flamed out bad in the playoffs and narrative that season from the voters and media was he can’t win another one until he proves it in the playoffs. It’s the same thing that happened to lebron after he won in 08 and 09, he didn’t get it done the playoffs so until he won a championship he couldn’t get another one.
Also for the record I did give an example of it in the original post. The second year when he was the 6th seed to that point in NBA history unless you broke a statically Barrie like Russ did the with triple doubles you couldn’t win without being a top 4 seed.
This is exactly what I’m talking about the media and fans hold him to an entirely different standard then any other player that has 3x MVPs
It sounds like the media you watch is garbage. I wouldn’t pay too much mind to it if I were you. If you watch the games, we saw Jokic had a rough game 2 (credit to the Wolves too). Any decent basketball media outlet wouldn’t not recognize this, so if you’re claiming otherwise then that should be a clue. There are a ton of good options out there these days other than ESPN for basketball content (reliable player podcasts and breakdowns are easy to find now). “DNVR Nuggets” for example does a great job in their coverage of the team and they tore Jokic a new one after game 2… All that aside, Jokic is a very well-deserved 3-time MVP
Well I highly doubt anybody is listening to local coverage of any team that they aren’t a fan of. While I agree the local coverage is more accurate and often times better it’s not what people that aren’t fans of that specific team listen to.
When I say the media i am talking about ESPN, Fox the big networks but I’m also talking about the NBA MVP voters that are all members of the national media. That’s who decides this stuff are the national media members that vote.
The voters and a lot of fans including the ones on this app have changed how we judge MVPs since Jokic was the one that started winning them. It’s just very frustrating from my perspective to watch the goal post be moved like it has been in the last 4 years.
In the past a players were held to a higher standard than Jokic is being held to. In the past a player had at minimum be a top 4 seed or do something completely unprecedented. In the past a players post season resume absolutely was factored into their ability to win future MVPs like happened Giannis and Lebron and it’s not been with Jokic.
Only one other time has an NBA MVP been swept in the playoffs in all of NBA history, it happened to magic when he played the pistons and got hurt 5 minutes into game 3 and didn’t play the rest of the series. If the nuggets get swept Jokic will have been swept twice as the MVP in the last 3 years.
Can you all imagine the flame job that would be happening if as the raining MVP fresh off a championship Lebron was performing like this? All anyone would have talked about was how bad he was playing, how he needed to do more, how other guys before him would have played better. Instead the focus is on Jamal Murray, and officials.
People are saying this guy should no question be the the MVP and should have won 4 in a row. Well then that means he needs to be that f—ing guy in the playoffs when it’s winning time just like all the other multiple time MVPs would be expected to be. Instead he has one championship run and a whole lot of other disappointments.
There has never been a Center like Jokic.
He will absolutely be a top 5 center in history of game.
Kareem, Russell, Wilt, Shaq, Hakeem. Who are you kicking out?
Nikola Jokic is only 29 years old and already got 3 MVPs. He’s going to be one of the best players to play the game.
Witnessing history. Will go down as one of the most unspectacular greats to ever play the game. Can control a game without having the athletic ability many would expect.
Definitely should have won last year too, amazing player.
Not only a great player but always available. Amazing. That being said, guards will rule going forward.
Wemby says “hold my beer…”
This vote fittingly restores some order after last year, when both Jokic and the voters relented to the shameless tactics of Embid and his HC.
Enbiid would have won this year if he didn’t get hurt and miss all those games. So now they are even.
I agree with that.
Thought SGA should have won but Jokic is a tremendous player.
I agree, but it didn’t fit the narrative
What is “the narrative” in this case?
SGA will go further in the playoffs than Jokic so it’s all good. Too bad they won’t face one another to settle the debate.
You realize it is a regular season award right? A team winning a playoff series wouldn’t settle anything on who the deserving individual was for regular season MVP.
Yeaaaaaahhhhhhhh …….
Order is restored! Huzzah!
No ring No trophy
The right man won it!
Must say it should have been 4 in a row, last year Embiid had no business winning it.
I have been watching the NBA for 40 years now and must say Jokic is by far and easily the best player I have ever seen!
SGA got robbed by a fat bully who cannot play any defense unless it’s pushing you in the back
Should be SGA to be honest.
Kendrick Perkins in a stroke-induced coma since the news broke.
Jokic can stuff a stat sheet. My issues with him is he just isn’t a dominant go-to scorer, and his defense on his best days is mediocre. I “get” the appeal… he is a great player. I’m just never wowed by him, and don’t feel like he’s a guy other teams fear – but he can pass the hell out of the ball and rack up those assists.
Legit lol, thank you for the comedic relief this afternoon. It was needed
Other teams fear ????
Yeah they fear Gordon, right ?????
You could say those same things about Magic Johnson. Not the greatest defender, and not an all-time great go-to scorer. But being able to elevate the game of the players around you goes a long way.
Also … the numbers do say he basically is that elite go-to scorer though … over the past 4 years he’s averaging over 26 PPG on stupidly efficient shooting. Plus with his rebounding, it’s hard to say there are many all-around better players than him. Even if defense isn’t a strength of his, he does basically everything else at an elite level.
If they gave it to SGA or Luka they would have had to deviate from the metrics two years in a row. You have stats that basically tell you who the best player that year is… add up WS, BPM, and VORP and the one with the highest total generally has been named MVP.