Nikola Jokic: Denver Nuggets center wins 3rd NBA MVP Award

Center Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets has increased his legacy by taking home a third NBA MVP Award.

The NBA declared that the superstar from Serbia had won the Michael Jordan trophy, defeating Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks.

With this year's trophy, Jokic joins the ranks of Wilt Chamberlain and LeBron James (four), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (six), Jordan and Bill Russell (five), Moses Malone, Larry Bird, and Magic Johnson (three) as the ninth player to win three or more MVPs. Jokic won back-to-back awards in 2020–21 and 2021–22.

Jokic easily won the 2023–24 award, receiving 79 votes in the first place. Doncic had four first-place votes, Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks had one, and Gilgeous-Alexander received fifteen.

Jokic averaged 26.4 points, 12.4 rebounds, and 9.0 assists per game to lead the Nuggets to their first NBA championship the previous season and the second seed in the Western Conference play-offs in 2023–2024.

His 25 triple-doubles were one fewer than that of Domantas Sabonis of the Sacramento Kings, who holds the record for the most in the NBA. He was the only player to place in the top 10 in scoring, rebounding, and assists.