Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic wins NBA MVP for 3rd time in 4 seasons

Denver Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic continues to add to his impressive cabinet as he won the NBA 2023-24 Most Valuable Player award. The Serbian has won the MVP for the third time in the last four seasons. 

Jokic topped Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks, who finished second and third, respectively, in the voting.

The talisman gave his gratitude to his teammates, coaching staff, medical team, and all the people who are involved behind the scenes.

“It’s got to start with the teammates; without them, I cannot do nothing,” Jokic said Wednesday on TNT after being named MVP. “Coaches, players, organization, medical staff, strength coaches, development coaches. It is all one big circle. But I cannot be whatever I am without them.”

Jokic dominated the voting, as he bagged 79 first-place votes and a total of 926 points whereas Gilgeous-Alexander received 15 first-place votes and 640 points.

“There’s a lot of players that deserve it,” Jokic said of the MVP race. “It’s probably details and the small things [that determine it].”

“It’s hard to differentiate greatness from greatness from greatness,” Denver coach Michael Malone said in early April of how Jokic has gotten better from previous MVP seasons. “And then that’s what he’s been over multiple years now. I know the last six years now, we’ve had by far the best record in the Western Conference and only second of the NBA behind, I think, Milwaukee in that time.”

“Nikola has matured, his ability to continue to make everyone around him better,” Malone said. “And when you win a championship, and we’re going to run it back, but in place of Bruce [Brown] and Jeff [Green], we’re going to try to put young players in and the fact that we have a better record than we did last year.

Jokic is averaging 26.4 points, 12.4 rebounds and 9.0 assists in the ongoing season. The center is also the second player to record 2,000 points, 900 rebounds and 600 assists in a season, joining Oscar Robertson.

The Nuggets are currently trailing by 2-0 against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference semifinals.