The NBA announced Nikola Jokic as the MVP of the league for the 2023-24 season. He received 79 first-place votes, which helped him overcome the challenge from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luka Doncic, who finished second and third respectively in the MVP race. The Denver Nuggets big man becomes the ninth player in the history of the NBA to win three MVP awards.
He averaged 26.4 PPG, 12.4 RPG and 9.0 APG throughout the season to help his team finish as the second seed in the stacked Western Conference. Playing without a recognised All-Star, Nikola Jokic has been a great leader for the franchise. He helped them win their first championship last season and is once again leading the way for them in the playoffs. Although the Nuggets are 0-2 down against the Minnesota Timberwolves, they can turn things around and make the reigning MVP’s year more special.
Shaquille O’Neal congratulated the Serbian on his achievement but also pointed out to him that he thought OKC Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander deserved the recognition. Many seemed to agree with Shaq’s thought, but the voters seemed to think in a different direction and decided to give the Joker the MVP trophy for the third time.
Nikola Jokic’s resume looks stacked
Nikola Jokic has already achieved a lot in his 10-year NBA career. Winning three MVP’s in four seasons is not an easy job, but the Joker has managed to do that with relative ease. His achievements make him the only player in the NBA to have over 15,000 + points, 8,000 + rebounds, 5,000 + assists, 1x Finals MVP, and 3X Regular season MVP before reaching the age of 30.
He certainly has one of the most unique skillset for a big man and that is what makes him a difficult player to guard. While there are doubts about how long he can carry on with the brilliant run, Joker does not plan on playing until he can’t replicate his dominant performances. “I’m not going to take a spot from some young guy or put the franchise down. As long as I can play at the highest level and help the team win, I’m going to play until then,” said the MVP while talking about how long he plans on playing in the league.
The Denver Nuggets are one of the best teams in the NBA. Led by Nikola Jokic they can certainly push for a few more championships. The Joker is currently in his prime and could win a few more accolades before he decides to call it quits on his career. However, looking at where his career is now, it looks likely that when it is all said and done, Jokic could be one of the greatest bigs to ever grace the basketball court.
