The debate for the best center in the NBA has been settled for now as Nikola Jokic superseded Joel Embiid‘s regular-season MVP win by winning an NBA Championship and Finals MVP.
Embiid publicly campaigned to win the award over Jokic, who led the rankings until the last month of the season. After the Nuggets’ won the title, Jamal Murray referenced Embiid’s push for an MVP as compared to Jokic’s push for something greater.
“I have seen the picture of Jok and Embiid running for MVP and Jok keeps running. I think that speaks so much about what his mindset is. I got mad because he kept passing the ball. I got him in the pocket and he passed it out of bounds, turnover. But that’s just the part of him, that’s just his game and that’s what makes us so good.”
Full clip for context: pic.twitter.com/rv0LBnW2ti
— Esfandiar Baraheni (@JustEsBaraheni) June 13, 2023
A championship will be sweeter than any MVP award anyone can ever win, as it is the defining accomplishment that most NBA players work toward. Some players may be satisfied by becoming the MVP, some players aren’t. It’s clear Jokic wasn’t satisfied after winning consecutive MVPs and focused his energies on the playoffs to bring Denver their first title and earn his first Finals MVP.
Nikola Jokic Adds More Distance Between Him And Joel Embiid
If the conversations between Jokic and Embiid were narrowly separated up until now, these playoffs have blown them away. Embiid couldn’t close out a 3-2 series lead and had subpar performances throughout the playoffs, whereas Jokic elevated from his season averages of 24.5 points, 11.8 rebounds. and 9.8 assists to 30.0 points, 13.5 rebounds, and 9.5 assists in the playoffs.
Embiid will be entering his 10th NBA season next year and is still yet to make it past the second round of the playoffs. Until he can show his success in the playoffs, this debate is likely to turn into the Stephen Curry vs. James Harden debate from a few years ago. Harden won his MVP finally, but even he is still searching for an elusive first ring, while Curry won his first Finals MVP last season.
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