Nikola Joki Wins 2023-24 NBA MVP Award over Luka Doni, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | News, Scores,
AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver PostNikola Jokić is now in an exclusive club of some of the best players in NBA history.
The Denver Nuggets big man took home the third MVP of his career Wednesday and defeated fellow finalists Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Dončić.
NBA Communications @NBAPRDenver Nuggets center Nikola Jokić is the recipient of the Michael Jordan Trophy as the 2023-24 Kia NBA Most Valuable Player. <a href="https://t.co/CeKSGycIB4">pic.twitter.com/CeKSGycIB4</a>
NBA Communications @NBAPRThe complete voting results for the 2023-24 Kia NBA Most Valuable Player. <a href="https://t.co/Dqbd7MaRjC">pic.twitter.com/Dqbd7MaRjC</a>
Jokić joins Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (six), Michael Jordan (five), Bill Russell (five), LeBron James (four), Wilt Chamberlain (four), Magic Johnson (three), Larry Bird (three) and Moses Malone (three) as the only players in NBA history to win the coveted individual award three times.
This season's MVP race was under the spotlight before the campaign even began since the NBA instituted a new rule stating players must appear in at least 65 games to be eligible for MVP, Defensive Player of the Year or All-NBA honors.
It didn't take long for that to be a storyline when Joel Embiid, who won the award in 2022-23, was sidelined with a knee injury that required surgery.
His absence prevented another race with Jokić after the Philadelphia 76ers center finished second in the voting in 2020-21 and 2021-22 when the Nuggets big man won the award. Fittingly, it was Jokić who finished in second place last season when Embiid won it.
It also opened the door for other players to be involved in the MVP chase this season, and players such as Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo and Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum made their mark at times in the race.
Still, the chase seemed to narrow as the season continued with Jokić continuing his steady excellence, Dončić making a late push and Gilgeous-Alexander leading his Thunder team to the Western Conference's No. 1 seed.
Jokić was under the spotlight throughout the campaign as the best player on the reigning champions and responded by averaging 26.4 points, 12.4 rebounds, 9.0 assists, 1.4 steals and 0.9 blocks per game while shooting 58.3 percent from the field and 35.9 percent from deep.
It reached a point where it was a surprise at times when he didn't notch a triple-double, and his ability to control games as a center who could do everything on the floor was impossible for opposing teams to stop.
He wasn't the only MVP candidate who also had his team near the top of the Western Conference standings, though.
Gilgeous-Alexander continued his ascension from a first-time All-Star last season into a surefire spot as one of the best overall players in the league this season while averaging 30.1 points, 6.2 assists, 5.5 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 0.9 blocks per game while shooting 53.5 percent from the field and 35.3 percent from deep.
Oklahoma City's future is bright with so many young playmakers, but Gilgeous-Alexander helped establish the team as a title contender in 2023-24 with his explosiveness in the open floor and ability to take over in crunch time.
Dallas has also looked like a title contender at times with Dončić leading the way.
He led the league in scoring with 33.9 points per game while also nearly averaging a triple-double of 9.8 assists, 9.2 rebounds and 1.4 steals. He shot 48.7 percent from the field and a career-best 38.2 percent from deep, and that efficiency helped the Mavericks charge all the way to the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference with a red-hot finish.
Dončić and Co. went 16-4 in the final 20 games during a stretch that was largely defined by his individual dominance.
It was quite the race between the three Western Conference stars, but Jokić ultimately took the award home and further cemented his place in NBA history.
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