Nuggets' Nikola Jokic To Be Named NBA's MVP For 2021-22 Season
For the second consecutive season, Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic will be the recipient of the NBA’s Most Valuable Player award.
A formal announcement from the NBA is expected this week, but ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Monday morning that the four-time All-Star has been voted the recipient of this award for the second consecutive season.
Compared to when he won the award for the first-time last season, Jokic’s overall numbers have increased and he single-handedly carried the Nuggets to the playoffs in the absence of both Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr.
Playing in 74 total games this season, Jokic averaged 27.1 points, 13.8 rebounds, 7.9 assists, 1.5 steals and shot 58.3% from the floor. He also finished the 2021-22 regular season leading all players in total rebounds (1,019), Player Efficiency Rating (32.8), win shares (15.2), box plus/minus (13.7), value above replacement player (9.8) and so many other advanced statistics.
While the Nuggets fell in the first-round of the playoffs to the Golden State Warriors in five games, Nikola Jokic did everything he could to keep his team within striking distance of virtually every game and ultimately, the team’s lack of overall firepower ended up being their downfall.
One of the best all-around seasons in NBA history, Jokic recorded the first 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, 500 assists season and became the first player in NBA history to average at least 25.0 points, 13.0 rebounds and 6.0 assists in a season, per StatMuse.
Jokic is also the first player to finish inside the Top-10 in points per game, rebounds per game, assists per game and field goal percentage in the last 50 seasons.
Now winning the award in back-to-back seasons, Nikola Jokic has become the 13th player in NBA history to win the award in consecutive seasons. Milwaukee Bucks All-Star Giannis Antetokounmpo was the last player to win the award in back-to-back years, doing so during the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons.
At 27-years-old and just entering the prime of his career, Nikola Jokic has established himself not only as one of the greatest players of his generation, but one of the best all-around players in NBA history.
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