There have been only five players in NBA history to be named league MVP at least four times. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar won the top honors a record six times. Michael Jordan and Bill Russell took home the award five times. Wilt Chamberlain and LeBron James secured four MVP trophies. There is a reason that all five of these players are on many top 10 players of all-time lists.
Just behind these three, and tied with three others is Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets. Those three MVP awards have come over the last four seasons. The one season he didn’t win (2022-23), he was runner-up and instead was named Finals MVP as Denver won their first NBA title in franchise history.
Can Jokic join that illustrious group of five? While the regular season is only about one-ninth complete, Jokic is sure off to an incredible start.
It’s Early, But Nikola Jokic Appears To Be Getting Even Better
Jokic Is Averaging A Triple-Double
The 29-year-old Jokic is putting up insane numbers on the season. Through nine games, the 6-foot-11 center is averaging 28.9 points, 13.2 rebounds, 11.3 assists, 1.6 steals, and 1.1 blocks. Everyone of those averages would be a career-high for the 10-year veteran, except for the rebounds, which would be the second-highest average of his career. Jokic is leading the league thus far in both rebounding and assists. Oh yeah, he is also shooting 52.8% from beyond the arc (19-36).
Friday night was just another instance for Jokic to demonstrate his greatness, and that he did. The Nuggets defeated the Miami Heat by the score of 135-122. Jokic secured his 135th career regular season triple-double in the victory finishing with 30 points, 11 rebounds, and 14 assists. The three-time MVP made 11-13 from the field, his one three-point try, and all seven of his free-throw attempts.
That was Jokic’s fifth triple-double of the season. Four of those five triple-doubles have come over the last six games. The two games of those six that Jokic didn’t record one was when he finished one rebound short against the Minnesota Timberwolves, and then one assist shy against the Utah Jazz.
Nuggets Improving After Slow Start
The Nuggets got off to a slow start in the 2024-25 season, losing their first two outings against the Oklahoma City Thunder and Los Angeles Clippers. While they won their next two, both took an overtime period to defeat two non-contending teams in the Brooklyn Nets and Toronto Raptors.
Including those two overtime wins, Denver is now 6-1 in their last seven contests. The only loss has come at the hands of the Timberwolves, a game that the Nuggets led late, only to fall by three. On Wednesday, Denver gave the Thunder their first loss of the season.
Of course, having a good team record can help a player’s MVP chances. What also can help is the narrative surrounding a player during the season. While there may be voter fatigue surrounding Jokic at the end of the season, if he could become just the third player ever (and first center) to average a triple-double along with Russell Westbrook and Oscar Robertson, his case may be too strong to ignore. There’s still 73 games remaining though to see if Jokic can accomplish that feat.
