NUGGETS’ NIKOLA JOKIC NAMED NBA MVP FOR 3RD TIME IN 4 SEASONS
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic has officially been named the 2023-24 NBA Most Valuable Player, the league announced on Wednesday night. Jokic, who was a finalist for the award alongside Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic, has now won three of the last four MVP awards. Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid claimed the award during the 2022-23 season.
Named the NBA’s MVP for the third time in the last four years, Jokic now joins Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, and LeBron James as the only players in league history to achieve such a feat in a four-year span.
This season, Jokic played in a total of 79 games, averaging 26.4 points, 12.4 rebounds, and 9.0 assists per game while shooting 58.3 percent from the floor and 35.9 percent from three-point range. Although none of these averages were career highs for Jokic, the Serbian big man was once again the most efficient player in the league. He finished the year ranking 10th in scoring, fourth in rebounding, third in assists, and first in virtually every advanced metric.
Earlier in the season, Nuggets head coach Michael Malone explained why Jokic proved to once again be the NBA’s MVP after a 26-point, 18-rebound, and 16-assist triple-double against the Cleveland Cavaliers on March 31.
“It speaks to why he’s going to be a three-time MVP. It speaks to his understanding that it’s not just about Nikola. That’s what I love about him probably more than anything is how selfless he is,” Malone explained. “It’s not about him getting 26-18-16. He was so into the game tonight, so into the huddles, talking to guys and being vocal on the court. That shows you the investment, that shows you how much he cares about this team.”
Jokic recorded a total of 68 double-doubles and 25 triple-doubles this season, finishing behind only Sacramento Kings center Domantas Sabonis in both categories. His 130 total career triple-doubles trail only Magic Johnson (138), Oscar Robertson (181), and Russell Westbrook (199) for the most in league history.
Another dominant season has resulted in Jokic claiming the NBA MVP award over the likes of Gilgeous-Alexander and Doncic, two very deserving finalists.
Jokic outlasts Gilgeous-Alexander, Doncic for MVP
Jokic has won his third MVP award in the last four seasons. However, Doncic and Gilgeous-Alexander each put together fantastic seasons of their own and received consideration for this award.
Doncic led the Mavericks to an 18-9 record out of the All-Star break, averaging 33.2 points, 10.3 assists, and 10.1 rebounds per game in that stretch. Luka led the league in scoring during the regular season at 33.9 points per game for the first time in his career. Dallas ended up finishing 50-32 on the season, claiming the 5-seed in the Western Conference and defeating the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round of the playoffs.
Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder to a 57-25 record. They claimed the 1-seed in the Western Conference over the Nuggets as a result of picking up three victories over Jokic during the regular season. At 25 years old, Shai has elevated his game to new heights and has all of a sudden put a young Thunder team in a position where they can contend for a championship.
Over the course of 75 games, Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 30.1 points, 6.2 assists, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.0 steals per game while shooting 53.5 percent from the floor. He also scored at least 30 points in a league-high 51 total games, according to StatMuse.
Jokic has now etched his name next to some of the greatest of all time after claiming his third NBA MVP award. At 29 years old, he will undoubtedly enter the 2024-25 season as the favorite to once again claim the league’s most distinctive honor.
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2024-05-08T23:36:46Z dg43tfdfdgfd