As the 2024-25 NBA season heads towards its conclusion, the MVP race has never been more intense. Despite exceptional performances from both Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Nikola Jokić of the Denver Nuggets, it’s hard to find a clear winner. These two names, which have emerged as the front-runners this season, are: With the award up for grabs, the debate has reached a fever pitch. Both players have put up remarkable numbers, but who will come out on top?

This season, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has dominated in scoring, averaging an impressive 32.7 points per game. His consistency and ability to lead his team have placed him at the forefront of the MVP conversation. Many lists have already placed him above Jokic. Meanwhile, Jokić redefines what it means to be a complete player. Already a three-time MVP, the Serbian center is the first in NBA history to rank in the top 10 for points, rebounds, assists, and steals in a season! Despite being the MVP three times already, his hunger for more is still there. It’s an MVP race that pits two of the league’s most electrifying talents against each other.

Former NBA champion Robert Horry recently weighed in with strong words on his podcast. He said, “This dude, he’s probably gonna go down like Michael Jordan, LeBron, Kobe was the most being robbed for the most MVP.” He argued that, like these players, Jokić is often overlooked despite his extraordinary achievements. According to Horry, “When Westbrook won his MVPs…he did something that hadn’t been done in a long time”. He discussed that since Jokic ended up making history this season, he should have the edge in the MVP competition.

However, he didn’t stop there. Horry also shed light on why Jokić might not win this year despite his brilliance. “Vegas set these odds, and all of a sudden they put blinders on everybody else,” he said. He argued the Nuggets’ rocky start hurt Jokić’s case, explaining, “That hurt them…because think about the beginning of the season.” The MVP narrative, he claims, was shaped way too early, leaving Jokić’s late-season dominance unfairly buried under hype.

What’s this trait that Nikola Jokic shares with Kobe Bryant, Jordan, and LeBron

If you’ve been following the heated MVP race between Nikola Jokić and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, you’ve probably felt the tension. Jokić has had a historically great season, yet there’s still doubt about him winning MVP. But what if this isn’t new? What if Jokić is now sharing a frustrating pattern once faced by legends like Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, and even LeBron James?

Take Michael Jordan in 1993. He averaged 32.6 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 5.5 assists while leading the Bulls to 57 wins. Still, the MVP went to Charles Barkley, whose Suns had 62 wins. Then again, in 1997, Jordan averaged 29.6 points and led the Bulls to a 69–13 record—yet the award went to Karl Malone, who had slightly less flashy numbers on a 64-win Jazz team. Though Jordan himself wasn’t too moved by it. He has even said, “As long as I am consistently thought of an MVP, I’m happy with that”. 

The same happened with Kobe Bryant. In 2006, Kobe averaged a wild 35.4 points per game, the highest since MJ in ’87. He scored 81 points in a game and had 27 games with 40 or more points. But Steve Nash, who averaged 18.8 points and 10.5 assists, won the MVP because of team success. In 2007, Kobe upped his game again to 31.6 points, but Dirk Nowitzki got the MVP with 24.6 points on a 67–15 Mavericks team.

LeBron James? In 2011, Derrick Rose won MVP despite LeBron averaging 26.7 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 7 assists with higher efficiency. In 2018, LeBron played all 82 games, averaged 27.5 points, 9.1 assists, and 8.6 rebounds, but James Harden got the MVP nod. Why? The league had grown used to LeBron’s dominance.

Now Jokić, with top-three stats in points, rebounds, assists, and steals, is somehow “not exciting enough” for the narrative. Like those legends before him, his biggest problem might just be that he’s consistently historic.