There was a time when the Jokic was maligned for his game. I’m just going to keep playing, keep trying to play the right way like I did my whole life.”
But if I don’t get it, I’m not going to die. “Like how you’re supposed to do probably. “Probably with some music, beer, friends around, family,” he said. All year I’ve been saying it, I just woke up happier then ever like I won the award!! I’m so proud of my boy man!! Great Player but a even better Leader & Great Role model! Thanks for showing me the ropes this year Jokey! Congrats Ma Brother.”Īfter being knocked out of the playoffs he averaged 31 points, 13.2 rebounds Jokic was asked how he might celebrate should he win MVP. Guard Bones Hyland posted on Twitter: “Man. They had a front-row seat to his performance every night. The award comes as no surprise to his teammates. Next year, Jokic will have his chance at a threepeat as well. Larry Bird, Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell each won the award in three straight seasons. The other players to win two in a row include Antetokounmpo, Stephen Curry, LeBron James (twice), Steve Nash, Tim Duncan, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Moses Malone and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (twice). Jokic joins rarefied company in winning for a second straight season.
“There’s nothing more important” than keeping Jokic, Nuggets president of basketball operations Tim Connelly recently said. The award is likely the start of a huge offseason for Jokic, who is eligible for a supermax extension that could guarantee him nearly $254m over five seasons starting with 2023-24. There’s other great players, I’m not saying they’re not great players, but what Nikola Jokic has done this year, with this team, with everything that we’ve had to go through, is incredible.” “I know that I’m very biased, I admit it wholeheartedly the MVP isn’t even a competition. “It’s just remarkable what he’s done,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone recently said of Jokic. They earned the No 6 seed in the West before losing in five games to the Golden State Warriors in the opening round of the playoffs. Required to carry the load night in and out, the big man from Sombor, Serbia, answered the call and guided the Nuggets to a 48-win season. The 27-year-old Jokic averaged 27.1 points, 13.8 rebounds and 7.9 assists on a team that was missing two other stars, Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr, for almost the entirety of the season due to injury. The other finalists who will finish second and third in some order were Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid, who led the league in scoring average, and two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo of the reigning champion Milwaukee Bucks. And that sort of dominance helped convince voters that the Serbian star should be the 13th player of the NBA’s exclusive MVP back-to-back club. Must be 21 or older to gamble.The 7ft center became the first player in league history to record more than 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds and 500 assists in a season.
Call the National Council on Problem Gambling 24/7 at 1-800-GAMBLER. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, help is available. See applicable operator site for its terms and conditions. Sports betting operators have no influence over nor are any such revenues in any way dependent on or linked to the newsrooms or news coverage. Gannett may earn revenue from sports betting operators for audience referrals to betting services. Tipico has no influence over nor are any such revenues in any way dependent on or linked to the newsrooms or news coverage. Gannett may earn revenue from Tipico for audience referrals to betting services. The Nuggets will be playing the second night of a back-to-back to make up for a postponed game against the Golden State Warriors (+8.5).Įmbiid also takes the floor Monday night, at home against the Chicago Bulls (+6.5) and their MVP candidate Demar DeRozan (+1200). Hopefully Jokic left something in the tank for Monday. Jokic’s odds this season remain the second-shortest at +210, but after Sunday’s game, his coach and teammates made it clear he’s second to no one. He had 46 points (16-22 FG), 12 rebounds, 11 assists, three steals and four blocks to become the only person to hit each threshold since steals and blocks became official in 1973-74.Īnd if the 46-point triple-double on 70% shooting wasn’t impressive enough, he scored 30 - 30! - of those points in the 4th quarter and overtime alone. Truly amazing stuff from the reigning MVP. On Sunday night, Jokic lifted his Denver Nuggets to a win over the New Orleans Pelicans with a stat line never recorded before in NBA history. The MVP battle has been a heavyweight fight this season, with centers Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic leading the way almost from the start.Īnd while Embiid has been the betting favorite for several weeks, and remains so with -120 odds on Tipico Sportsbook, Jokic landed the latest blow sure to close the gap.