The Denver Nuggets are only four victories away from winning the franchise’s first NBA championship. Led by their star player Nikola Jokic, the Nuggets swept the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals, securing their first-ever trip to the NBA Finals. Jokic was recognized for his outstanding performances by being awarded the Magic Johnson Western Conference MVP award. Despite his remarkable achievements throughout the season, however, Jokic narrowly missed out on becoming a three-time consecutive league MVP, with the honor going to Joel Embiid, the center for the Philadelphia 76ers.
Many people believed that Jokic should have been the recipient of this prestigious accolade. Jokic’s teammate from the Nuggets recently provided insight into the Joker’s nonchalant mentality as they prepare for the showdown with the Miami Heat.
Nikola Jokic and Co. have only one goal in mind
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Nikola Jokic is widely considered the best player in the league for the past three seasons. Jokic won the NBA MVP honors in the previous two seasons. His impact on his team has been widely appreciated by many.
Despite losing the MVP honor this year to Embiid, Jokic has been very nonchalant about the situation. Despite the debates going on in the NBA community, Jokic supported Embiid as the winner. Jokic has mentioned that Embiid was playing great basketball throughout the year and is the one who deserves the MVP trophy. However, the Nuggets star has his eyes set on a bigger prize. His star teammate revealed his mentality in an interview.
Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr sat down with JJ Reddick to talk about Jokic’s mentality. On the Old Man and The Three podcast, Porter Jr explained Jokic prioritizing a championship above everything. On being asked about Nikola’s comment on the same MVP discussion, Porter Jr said,?“He was more nonchalant about it than I think. Like anyone could really understand everyone that he really did not care if he won the MVP. He didn’t care about any of that.”
Porter Jr further added,?“All the noise outside about you know, the Nuggets were struggling, towards the end of the season. Are they gonna being it in the playoffs or the MVP debate, We got a team full of people that don’t even care about that stuff.”
Michael Porter Jr. on Nikola Jokic’s response to some of the MVP discourse pic.twitter.com/yDYo4V2x3W
— JJ Redick (@jj_redick) May 31, 2023
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Nikola Jokic’s brilliant season was overshadowed by Joel Embiid
During the regular season, Nikola Jokic maintained impressive averages of 24.5 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 9.8 assists. His influential performances led the Denver Nuggets to secure the top seed in the Western Conference. Despite playing as a center, Jokic possesses the skills of a point guard, skillfully controlling the tempo of the game and executing remarkable passes. Standing at a towering height of 7 feet, Jokic often attracts double teams, creating opportunities for his teammates to score.
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However, Jokic ultimately lost out to Joel Embiid who boasted averages of 33.1 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 4.2 assists. It’s worth noting that Embiid’s 76ers were eliminated by the Celtics, while the Nuggets are currently on the brink of making history.
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