Nikola Jokic Wins NBA Most Valuable Player Award
Denver Nuggets star center Nikola Jokic was named NBA Most Valuable Player on Wednesday, May 8, marking the third time in four seasons that he won the award. Jokic is the ninth player to win the award three or more times.
Details of the Award
- Jokic received 79 first-place votes and totaled 926 points in balloting performed by a group of sportswriters and broadcasters.
- Oklahoma City guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (15 first-place votes, 640 points) was second and Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (4, 566) was third.
- Jokic averaged 26.4 points, 12.4 rebounds, and 9.0 assists in 79 games this season.
Player Reactions
Though Jokic won the award comfortably, he wasn’t offended during the TNT interview when it was suggested that Gilgeous-Alexander might have been a more worthy winner. “There are a lot of players who deserve it,” Jokic said. “It’s probably the details and the small things.”
Previous Winners
Last season, Jokic was the runner-up behind Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers. Jokic won the award in the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 seasons. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar holds the record of six MVP awards.
Nuggets’ Performance and Future
Jokic led the Nuggets to the NBA title last season and helped Denver compile a 57-25 record in the 2023-2024 regular season. The Nuggets beat the Los Angeles Lakers in five games in the Western Conference first round but now are facing a tough situation after losing the first two games against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second round. The series now shifts to Minneapolis for the next two games.
Other Notable Players
- Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (one, 192) finished fourth in this season’s balloting.
- New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (142) was fifth.