Nikola Jokić named NBA’s regular season MVP
Fred Jeter | 6/17/2021, 6 p.m.
The Denver Nuggets apparently struck gold when they drafted Serbian-born Nikola Jokić in 2015.
Now in his sixth season with the franchise, Jokić has been named the 2021 NBA Most Valuable Player for the regular season.
The 6-foot-11, 284-pound forward was selected for the award based on voting by a global panel of sportswriters and broadcasters.
Nicknamed “The Joker,” Jokić averaged 26.4 points, 10.9 rebounds and 8.4 assists this past season for the Nuggets.
The 26-year-old is only the third player in NBA history to average at least 26 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists, joining Oscar Robertson and Russell Westbrook.
Jokić wasn’t considered a “sure thing” coming out of the European pro leagues. Jokić was the 41st overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft, making him the lowest player ever drafted to win MVP.
Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid was second and Golden State’s Steph Curry was third in the voting.
Other winners:
Defensive Player of the Year: Rudy Gobert, Utah; Sixth Man: Jordan Clarkson, Utah; Most Improved: Julius Randle, New York Knicks; Coach of the Year: Tom Thibodeau, New York Knicks. The awards have nothing to do with the performances in the ongoing NBA playoffs.
