The NBA MVP race for the 2021-22 regular season has been one of the most hotly debated ones in recent memory. Three players had an excellent case for the award, with any of them winning unlikely to be a surprise. Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid, and Giannis Antetokounmpo all made their cases with incredible seasons, but there can finally be just one MVP.
Towards the end of the season, it seemed Nikola Jokic had separated himself from the pack, but recent reports had suggested that Joel Embiid might have won out. The playoffs also skewed perspective for some people, with Jokic getting knocked out in the first round and Embiid and Antetokounmpo still leading their teams deeper into the postseason.
But the voting closed before all that and it seems like the Denver Nuggets center will join a very exclusive club of back-to-back MVPs, as we predicted, and as Adrian Wojnarowski announced on Monday that he has been voted as the MVP again this season.
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic has been voted the NBA’s Most Valuable Player for a second consecutive season, sources tell ESPN. A formal announcement is expected this week.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) May 9, 2022
“Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic has been voted the NBA’s Most Valuable Player for a second consecutive season, sources tell ESPN. A formal announcement is expected this week.”
Jokic led the league in several advanced stats, especially on the offensive end, where he was almost a one-man show. Jokic averaged 27.1 points, 13.8 rebounds, and 7.9 assists per game over the season, and his numbers were up across the board from last season when he was also named the MVP.
Joel Embiid and his fans will be disappointed with the news, especially considering the historic season the Sixers big man also enjoyed, but it would be hard for anyone to argue that Jokic getting the award is undeserved. He has carried the Nuggets through injuries to direct playoff qualification and easily remains among the best players in the league, if not the best, especially following his now-consecutive MVPs.
