Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic was awarded the 2023-24 NBA MVP award tonight.
Jokic was announced as the MVP winner as part of Inside the NBA on TNT, holding off finalists Shai-Gilgeous Alexander and Luka Doncic for the award.
The Serbian superstar joins a select group of NBA royalty as the only players to receive the award three times in their career. Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Moses Malone, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, and LeBron James are the eight players to receive the award three or more times. Jokic becomes the ninth player to do so.
Jokic finished the 2023-24 regular season with 79 games played, a career high in total minutes, and mostly replicated his per game averages of the last four years that made him so valuable in the first place. He produced 26.4 points, 12.0 rebounds, 9.0 assists, and 1.4 steals per game, very much in line with what many expect of him. While Jokic has never led in any one category, it’s his versatility to impact all categories that makes him so unique, On the season, Jokic ranked fifth in the entire NBA in total points scored, third in total rebounds, second in total assists, and eighth in total steals.
Via Denver Nuggets PR:
Jokić registered 25 triple-doubles, one shy of the NBA lead and 68 double-doubles, the most double-doubles in a season in franchise history. He now has had 20+ triple-doubles in consecutive seasons, becoming one of four players in NBA history (Robertson, Westbrook, Chamberlain) to record 20+ triple-doubles in multiple seasons. Jokić finished with a career-high 708 assists, passing Wilt Chamberlain for the most by a center in a single season in NBA history and moved him into second place all-time for most assists by a center. It also marks his fifth straight season with 550+ assists, tying Fat Lever for most such seasons in franchise history.
The Nuggets as a whole won 57 games, tying a franchise record. They ultimately finished as the second seed in the Western Conference, though they flirted with first place for much of the year as well. Somehow, there are no other Nuggets in consideration for other awards with no other All-Stars, All-Defensive Players, or any other national recognitions for the rest of the team. And yet, the Nuggets still found a way to dominate for most of the year. That’s because they have Jokic, who has operated and handled as much responsibility as any one player should have to carry for a long time.
This season doesn’t seem like it’s going to go Denver’s way, but that shouldn’t take away from the season Jokic had. It’s funny, the three times over the last four years that Jokic has won the award appear to be heading toward disappointment. The one year that Jokic probably should have won, the Nuggets won a championship.
It’s an unfortunate quirk, but that appears to be Jokic and Denver’s lot in life.
Perhaps this moment can serve as a catalyst to turn around Denver’s playoff series against the Minnesota Timberwolves where they currently trail 2-0. But even if it doesn’t, it’s important to appreciate these moments along the way. These opportunities are fleeting, and they deserve to be cherished. Jokic will only ever be in the prime of his career once, and it’s important to value that as much as the Nuggets – the organization and the fans – possibly can.
