Nikola Jokic bagged his 3rd NBA MVP in the last four seasons after yet another smashing year in the Nuggets threads. While many believed Shai-Gilgeous Alexander should have been the MVP, Jokic beat him in the race with a margin of 286 points. Among those believers is a renowned Jokic hater, Gilbert Arenas.
On a recent episode of Nightcap, the former NBA All-Star expressed his disapproval of Nikola Jokic’s MVP win. He said, “Are we going to ignore the fact that he is not the go-to guy when it counts? [Murray] is the guy who Jokić relies on to hit those buckets.”
He further added that Jamal Murray is the clutch guy for the Nuggets in the deciding moments and the MVP should go to someone possessing that ability. According to Arenas, Shai-Gilgeous Alexander certainly possesses that quality while the Serbian does not. The Nuggets center also heard the same from Shaquille O’Neal but remained unfazed over the criticism and credited his teammates for his personal glory.
Nikola Jokic credits his teammates for MVP win
The collective effort of the Nuggets propelled them to the NBA championship last season and this year has been more of the same. Jokic has been the centerpiece of the Nuggets’ dominance and, after winning the MVP award, he has credited the others around them for the accolade.
“It’s a journey, it’s a process, it’s trusting in your teammates, your teammates trusting in you. It’s a whole collective effort that put me in the bright spotlight,” said an appreciative Jokic in a press meet.
Click on ‘Follow Us’ and get notified of the most viral NBA stories via Google! Follow Us
Jokic has averaged 26.4 points per game in the regular season alongside a career-high 12.4 rebounds and 9 assists. Apart from Joker’s mastery, the team effort has been key for the Denver side throughout the season, which helped them sweep the Lakers in round 1.
Now the Nuggets are faced with a tougher test in the shape of the Timberwolves and, after going down 2-0 in the series, the Nuggets will need their MVP in otherworldly form to turn things around when the two teams meet on Friday.
