Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets has been named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) for the 2023-2024 National Basketball Association (NBA) regular season.
The NBA announced on May 9th (KST), “Jokic was chosen as this season’s regular league MVP,” adding, “Jokic secured the top spot with a total of 926 points, receiving 79 first-place votes (10 points), 18 second-place votes (7 points), and 2 third-place votes (5 points) out of a total of 99 votes.” Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder came in second with 640 points, and Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks ranked third with 566 points.
Jokic, who previously clinched back-to-back MVP titles in the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 seasons, has now achieved this honor for the third time. Throughout the history of the NBA since its establishment in 1946, only nine players, including Jokic, have won the MVP title three or more times. The list includes Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (6 times), Bill Russell and Michael Jordan (5 times each), Wilt Chamberlain and LeBron James of the LA Lakers (4 times each), Moses Malone, Larry Bird, and Magic Johnson (3 times each). Since the year 2000, only James and Jokic have won the MVP title three times or more.
Jokic was drafted as the 41st overall pick in the second round of the draft ten years ago. He is the only player drafted below the 30th spot to have been named MVP.