Players come and go but to have a Denver Nuggets player win his third MVP allows him to join a list of 9 NBA legends. The nine-year NBA superstar and Serbian veteran, Nikola Jokic, is the ninth player to win three or more MVP Awards. He previously earned the honor in the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons.
Being the Denver Nuggets’ backbone, people deemed him worthy of being the MVP despite the team being down 2-0 to the upstart Minnesota Timberwolves, after dropping the first two games at home. So, let’s see why.
Denver Nuggets Superstar Joining the List of 9 NBA Legends
Nikola Jokić has been named the Kia NBA MVP for the third time, having previously earned the honor in the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons.
The nine-year NBA veteran from Serbia is the ninth player to win three or more MVPs. pic.twitter.com/7WfS3RxOMP
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) May 8, 2024
Nikola Jokic joined Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (six), Michael Jordan (five), Bill Russell (five), Wilt Chamberlain (four), LeBron James (four), Larry Bird (three), Magic Johnson (three) and Moses Malone (three) to make the list of nine NBA legends. He didn’t earn this title overnight, in fact, he had to thrive and work for it, deeming him worthy of the title. Jokic is the first center in six decades to win MVP three times in four seasons after Abdul-Jabbar who did so from 1973-74 to 1976-77. Jokic is also the only second-rounder to get selected as an NBA MVP.
In the 2023-24 regular season, he ranked 10th in the NBA in points, fourth in rebounds, and third in assists per game. That makes him the second player in NBA history to have at least 2,000 points, 900 rebounds, and 700 assists in a season, joining Oscar Robertson (1961-62). In addition, he finished second in the NBA in both double-doubles (68) and triple-doubles (25). Jokic shot 58.3% from the field, the 10th-highest mark in the league.
With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility
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Being a part of the nine NBA legends is definitely a badge of honor to wear, but with that badge comes great pressure. That is because under Jokic’s reign, the Denver Nuggets (57-25) matched the franchise high for victories in a season and tied for the best record in the Western Conference. Furthermore, the Nuggets posted a plus-11.8 net efficiency when Jokic was on the court but a minus-8.6 when he wasn’t. Jokic led the NBA with a plus-682 plus-minus. The Nuggets were minus-251 with Jokic off the court.
He faced a challenge to be the Atlas of the team after the team was down 2-0 to the Timberwolves. But like a phoenix rising from the ashes, the Denver Nuggets dominated Game 3 of their Western Conference semifinal matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves, led by one of the nine NBA legends, Nikola Jokic.
Elite MVP Runs Joins List of 9 NBA Legends: Afterthought
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Jokic proved himself to be worthy of being dubbed a three-time MVP and one of the nine NBA legends. However, the other team members need to pick up the slack, and we can see that already starting to take place in game 3 of their Western Conference semifinal matchup. That is a great sign but the Denver Nuggets must make sure it is not a one-time occurrence.
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