Denver Nuggets superstar center
Nikola Jokic has won the 2023-2024 Kia NBA Most Valuable Player,
the league announced Wednesday night.
Jokic, 29, won the award over
co-finalists Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder
and Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks. He had 79 1st place votes
(equivalent to 10 points), 18 2nd place points (equivalent to 7
points), and 2 3rd place points (equivalent to 5 points) to finish
with a total of 926 points. Gilgeous-Alexander secured 2nd place
with a total of 640 points while Doncic finished third with 566
points.
Jokic wins the award for the
third time, having previously earned the honor in the 2020-21 and
2021-22 seasons. He averaged 26.4 PPG, 12.4 RPG, and 9.0 APG on
58.3% FG, 35.9% 3P, and 81.7% FT.
Jokic is the ninth player to win
three or more MVP awards, joining the exclusive list of Kareem
Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan, and LeBron James among
others.
This adds to Jokic’s already
legendary legacy to his career, which also includes an NBA
championship and a Finals MVP from last season.
Jokic led Denver to a West-best
tying 57-25 record this season, finishing second seed in the
Western Conference just behind the Thunder. The Nuggets aim to
repeat as champions this year, and they are in a tight series
against the Minnesota Timberwolves to reclaim that feat. They have
already ousted the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round in just
five games.
Jokic and the Nuggets hope to
continue this partnership for years to come as he is in the peak of
his prime now with a capable team surrounding him to contend and
win as many championships as they can.
