Nikola Jokic won last week the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award in the National Basketball Association (NBA). A given, actually.
The Serbian towers beyond seven feet but can move with the ease of a regular forward and, at times, even a starting point-guard, easily making him a freak of nature more than the Greek Freak himself, Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Never was Jokic a surprise MVP winner. He has been heavily favored to nail it long before the official results were released.
In winning his third MVP in four years, Jokic earned a runaway 926 points over Thunder Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (640) and Maverick Luka Doncic (580) in one of the most lopsided results in league history.
His victory was superb: 79 first-placed points as against only 15 for Gilgeous-Alexander and 4 for Doncic.
But despite the ocean-wide gap, Shaquille O’Neal, the NBA legend, belittled Jokic’s win and picked Gilgeous-Alexander as the “rightful winner.”
Jokic’s answer: “We don’t judge people here. That’s fine. It’s your opinion.”
Antetokounmpo, the MVP in 2019 and 2020 from the Milwaukee Bucks, was fourth and James Brunson from the New York Knicks fifth. Jokic became the first international player to win it at least three times.
Jokic lost the MVP race in 2023 to Cameroonian Joel Embiid after scoring back-to-back MVP wins in 2021 and 2022.
It was a bit sad that Jokic missed winning the 2023 MVP award after powering the Denver Nuggets that year to their first NBA title in 47 years.
But Jokic is only 27, and he is already tied with Moses Malone, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson with three MVPs apiece. Time is definitely on his side in his chase of the six MVPs (all-time best) of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, five MVPs apiece of Bill Russell and Michael Jordan, and four MVPs each of Wilt Chamberlain and LeBron James.
Jokic was exceptionally eloquent in his victory speech: “We’ve got to start with the teammates. Without them, I cannot do anything. It’s all one big circle that I cannot be without them.”
His being with Denver the whole nine years of his NBA career also speaks volumes.
“Denver’s my second home with my wife, Natalija, and daughter, Ogngena,” said Jokic. “Just love it there.”