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- Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic has been named the 2021-22 NBA MVP.
- The 27-year-old Serbian also won the MVP award last season.
- Jokic averaged 27.1 points, 13.8 rebounds, and 7.9 assists per game this season.
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic has been named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player for the second consecutive season. Jokic, 27, previously won the award for the first time last year. The Serbian beat out fellow finalists Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers, center) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks, forward) for the award.
Jokic, who was originally drafted by the Nuggets with the 41st overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, averaged 27.1 points, 13.8 rebounds, and 7.9 assists per game this season en route to his second MVP honor.
Jokic and the Denver Nuggets, who were without star point guard Jamal Murray and forward Michael Porter Jr. out for a majority of the year (Murray missed the whole season, while Porter Jr. played in just nine games), were bounced out of the Western Conference playoffs in the first round by Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors.
Following the news of Jokic’s repeat as MVP, NBA fans took to social media to react to the news, with many seemingly believing that Embiid deserved the award, especially considering how the 76ers looked without him in their first two games against the Miami Heat. The NBA’s MVP award is a strictly regular-season-based honor, though.
NBA world reacts to Nikola Jokic beating out Joel Embiid for MVP award
Nikola jokic case: HE PUT UP VORP HE HAD NO HELP HES A SIX SEED WOWWW
1. Embiid’s best players were Seth curry and Tyrese maxey for 3/5 of the season
2. Embiid’s team won more game
3. THIS MF EMBIID WAS THE FIRST CENTER TO WIN THE SCORING TITLE SINCE SHAQ!Embiid is MY MVP pic.twitter.com/Ek61QzKcwb
— Philly Sports Sufferer (@mccrystal_alex) May 9, 2022
Has to be so embarrassing to wake up today knowing you voted for Jokic to win MVP over Embiid
— Eliot Shorr-Parks (@EliotShorrParks) May 9, 2022
Everyone is gonna look back and feel the same about Jokic and Embiid.
Robbed pic.twitter.com/x3tTENNcgF
— Sixers Nation (@PHLSixersNation) May 9, 2022
He was drafted 41st — during a Taco Bell commercial.
Back-to-back MVP, Nikola Jokic 🌯
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) May 9, 2022
Eye Test = Joel Embiid for MVP!!!
Analytics = Jokic for MVP!!!
I’m glad I rolled with the EYE TEST on my vote.
Carry the hell on…
— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) May 9, 2022
NBA has made a egregious mistake giving Jokic the MVP over Embiid. Embiid has kept the 76ers from imploding all season by himself. If that isn’t Most Valuable Player I do not know what is ..
— Mello Styles (@MelloStylesTV) May 9, 2022
Embiid bettors seeing Jokic won MVP pic.twitter.com/bpcSoI2CkL
— Pickswise (@Pickswise) May 9, 2022
shame on everyone that voted jokic over embiid for mvp
— drew (@sixersruinedme) May 9, 2022
To every single MVP voter who had Nikola Jokic over Joel Embiid:pic.twitter.com/hHivSRqZh2
— Barstool Philly (@BarstoolPhilly) May 9, 2022
https://twitter.com/NotRatioBySteph/status/1523651308997144577
Jokic was great but Denver was on a gap year. The stakes could not have been lower. They played 5 important games all season and lost four of them.
— Avi Wolfman-Arent (@Avi_WA) May 9, 2022
https://twitter.com/robidoskiii/status/1523646167921225730
https://twitter.com/Matt31777846/status/1523645100735094786
Game 4 in Denver with the game on the line & the series on the line… Jokic was sitting on the bench fully healthy. The analytics saying he’s a good defender. His own coach thinks he’s a liability. We need to start a discussion.
— The Big OG said TRADE TOBIAS HARRIS! (@OHGEENiCK) May 9, 2022
Nikola Jokić was drafted during a Taco Bell commercial and is now the back-to-back MVP of the NBA.
— Katy Winge (@katywinge) May 9, 2022
It was certainly a tight race between Jokic, Giannis and Embiid, but the Joker’s underlying stats are nothing to laugh at – truly a historic #NBA season 🏆
(also how great is it that the top four inc. Doncic are all international! what a time to be alive 🌍🏀) https://t.co/auZ8vnhqes
— Andrew Gamble (@andrew_gamble) May 9, 2022
Is this the part where we act like we didn't know Jokic won it like 2 months ago
— Dom2K 🎅 (@Dom_2k) May 9, 2022
While Jokic may have already been bounced from the postseason, the other two candidates, Embiid and Antetokounmpo, remain in contention for the NBA title. The 76ers, who were down 0-2 to the Heat after losing Embiid to injury, rallied to win two games at home thanks to the return of their All-Star center. As for Antetokounmpo and the Bucks, they take a 2-1 lead into Monday night’s game against Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and the Boston Celtics.