Jokic officially wins MVP, more than doubles Embiid's 1st-place votes
For the second time in as many seasons, a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters agreed that Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic is the NBA's Most Valuable Player.
Days after reports of the playmaking Serbian's victory first leaked, the league confirmed the results Wednesday, with Jokic receiving more than twice the number of first-place votes as the runner-up, Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid.
Third-place finisher Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo was the only other player who received first-place votes.
Phoenix Suns shooting guard Devin Booker and Dallas Mavericks point forward Luka Doncic also received top-three votes, rounding out the top five.
| Player | Team | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | Total Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N. Jokic | DEN | 65 | 27 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 875 |
| J. Embiid | PHI | 26 | 39 | 34 | 1 | 0 | 706 |
| G. Antetokounmpo | MIL | 9 | 32 | 52 | 7 | 0 | 595 |
| D. Booker | PHX | 0 | 1 | 8 | 49 | 22 | 216 |
| L. Doncic | DAL | 0 | 1 | 0 | 32 | 43 | 146 |
Seven other players received fourth- or fifth-place votes, including Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (43 points), Memphis Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant (10), Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (4), Suns point guard Chris Paul (2), Chicago Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan (1), Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (1), and Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant (1).
Jokic, the second two-time MVP winner hailing from Europe alongside Antetokounmpo, averaged 27.1 points, 13.8 rebounds, 7.9 assists, and 1.5 steals per game this season, translating to an all-time single-season record player efficiency rating of 32.85.
The 27-year-old's superb play lifted his Nuggets to a 48-34 record and a playoff berth despite the season-long absence of starting point guard Jamal Murray and an injury-plagued year from talented forward Michael Porter Jr.
The Nuggets were outscored by 7.9 points per 100 possessions with Jokic on the bench, compared to a strong plus-9.8 on-court net rating.
Jokic's win marks the seventh time this century a player has won the MVP award in back-to-back years; Tim Duncan (2001-03), Steve Nash (2004-06), James (2008-10 and 2011-13), Curry (2014-16), and Antetokounmpo (2018-20) have also accomplished the feat.