By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Nikola Jokic is hoping to take home his 3rd consecutive MVP trophy after leading the Denver Nuggets to the first seed in the West this season.
Former teammate DeMarcus Cousins was critical of Jokic’s case for a third MVP due to the all-time status it gives the Serbian center.
“I am not okay with it being 3 MVPs in a row because then it becomes a conversation, ‘Is this the best basketball player to ever touch a basketball?’ I think we can all agree that he’s not. Not saying he can’t be, not saying he doesn’t deserve more down the road, but at this stage in his career, I am not okay with saying that“.
Jokic stormed the 2022-23 campaign with that maintained all-around impactful mastery, averaging 24.5 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 9.8 assists. Unlike his past two MVP seasons, this year has been a fruitful one for his club. Under his leadership, the Nuggets are boasting a 53-29 record en route to the Western Conference’s top spot.
“He has not won anything, he hasn’t been to the Finals. There are a lot of things still in play for him. That’s my only concern. At this point, he’s the best center of all time. Three in a row? We’re putting him over the likes of Shaquille O’Neal, Hakeem Olajuwon, Tim Duncan, and Wilt Chamberlain, that’s a tough conversation to have because we have seen what these guys have done. Can we sit right here and say Jokic not only is the best big ever, but the best basketball player ever with 3 MVPs in a row? I am not comfortable saying that.”