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Second-Round Pick’s Third MVP Places Him Top-10 All-Time

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Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, 2023-24/2024 NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP)

As expected, Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic has been announced as the winner of the 2023-24 NBA Most Valuable Player Award after leading his team to a 57-25 record and No. 2 seed in the West.

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The former second-round pick averaged 26.4 points, 12.4 rebounds, 9.0 assists, 1.4 steals, and 0.9 blocks per game in 2023-24. He scored 1.07 points per possession in isolation and 1.14 points per possession on post-ups, ranking in the 80th percentile in both categories.

Nikola Jokic’s Third MVP Places Him Top-10 All-Time

Jokic has now won three MVP awards in four seasons, joining a pantheon of NBA greats that includes LeBron James, Bill Russell, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, and Larry Bird. He also joins James and Michael Jordan as the only players to win at least three MVP awards since 1990.

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Already considered an all-time great, Jokic has now reached top-10 status with his incredible resume.

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As he’s also a six-time All-Star, five-time All-NBA selection and the 2023 NBA Finals MVP, the only players that undoubtedly have had better careers than Jokic are Jordan, James, Russell, Abdul-Jabbar, Chamberlain, Bird, and Tim Duncan. Due to his success in the NBA Finals, many will point to Stephen Curry as well. However, no matter how people slice it, only a handful of players that can stake that claim.

That’s stupefying in and of itself. When considering his pre-draft evaluation and his evolution since his 2015 debut, it’s even harder to process. Indeed, of all the players mentioned, Jokic is the only one who was selected outside of the NBA Draft lottery.

The Most Unexpected MVP

Entering the league as a chubby but skilled pivot with an unorthodox game, Jokic has matured physically and mentally. He’s no Nate Thurmond, but he’s taken the bull by the horns in regard to his physical conditioning. His mental processing was always a natural talent but experience has taken his basketball IQ to a whole new level. On the court he’s rex machina, a supercomputer who alters a game from start to finish with his understanding of it.

However, Jokic’s also grown as man over the years and his intangibles with him. He’s more vocal than in years past and a better leader because of it. While his counting stats may be the primary determinant when considering his MVP-worthiness, that psychological factor is another one.

NBA Mount Rushmore?

Jokic’s story is still being written.

The Sombor is still relatively young in NBA years and could play for another decade if he wants. Though his off-court interests and family values suggests that he may retire a bit earlier than that, his love for the game and drive to succeed leave that door open. If so, it’ll be interesting to see just how many more MVP awards (and NBA championships) he wins.

With any more of either, he may break into Mount Rushmore conversations.

The post Second-Round Pick’s Third MVP Places Him Top-10 All-Time appeared first on Last Word On Basketball.