With the shot clock winding down, Nikola Jokic caught the ball at the right wing, casually standing for a couple of seconds and scanning the floor behind him. The star centre took a few dribbles, backing his defender to the paint. Pass fake, spin back, one-leg fadeaway. Clutch! His shot found the bottom of the net, and the arena went wild.
It wasn’t just the difficulty - it was the defender. Victor Wembanyama, the 7-foot-4 phenom with an 8-foot wingspan, led the league in blocks and is the frontrunner for Defensive Player of the Year. A nightmare matchup for anyone. Except Jokic.
Denver won the contest 136-134, continuing their 12-game winning streak to close out the regular season. The final push proved critical for the Nuggets as they edged the Los Angeles Lakers and the Houston Rockets for the third spot in the standings, earning a more favourable position to begin the postseason. In the first round, they will face the sixth-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves.
Seeking redemption
The squad from Mile High City is looking to avenge itself as they lost to Minnesota two years ago in a thrilling, neck-and-neck seven-game series in the second round. Denver were the higher seed, but Minnesota found a recipe for their high-octane offence and ultimately shut the Nuggets down to punch their ticket to the conference finals.
This season, Denver are looking for a different narrative. With Jokic – playing the best basketball of his life – behind the steering wheel.
In 2024, Jokić won his third MVP award after outlasting Luka Doncic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in voting. He averaged 26.4 points, 12.4 rebounds, 9 assists, and 1.4 steals per game while shooting 58.3 % from the field and 35.9 % from the three-point line – incredibly magical stat lines that rightfully earned him the title of the best player in the league. Then he raised the bar again, averaging a triple-double the following season.
First-ever to lead in two categories
Still, that wasn’t the ceiling for the Serbian native. The centre just completed another remarkable campaign: 27.7 points, 12.9 rebounds, and 10.7 assists per game, while shooting 56.9% from the field and 38% from beyond the arc. He led the NBA in both rebounds and assists, becoming the first player in league history to do so in the same season.
Yet, the historic production didn’t stop there. Across more than 1.4 million recorded 10-game spans in NBA history, no player has ever totalled more combined points, rebounds, and assists than Jokic did during Denver’s recent run. Over that stretch, he posted 252 points, 145 rebounds, and 127 assists.
Tough competition
Without a doubt, the basketball sphere is witnessing an insane year-long performance that Jokic has made look so casual that fans attending Denver games take his numbers for granted. Fade away jumpers. Hook shots. Triples from near the halfcourt. No look passes and laser vision. Those attributes define the game of Nikola Jokic as he routinely makes the astonishing look ordinary.
Simply put, the centre just put together an insane season full of remarkable achievements nobody has ever gotten remotely close to. Even more impressive is the fact that Jokic is a centre with limited athleticism and vertical, yet he rules the most talented and skilled league in the world.
He led the NBA in triple-doubles this season and finished second in double-doubles. Arguably, he is the best player in the league right now.
And even after impressing with a ridiculous regular season campaign, the wildest, most outrageous thing is this – he will probably not earn his fourth MVP award. Jokic will be one of the finalists, but he is not the favourite despite his spectacular numbers.
Crazy to think that his never-before-seen calibre type of season may not be enough to earn him the MVP crown. But that is the reality. In an extremely tight race, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is projected to win after leading the Oklahoma City Thunder to the best record in the NBA and averaging 31.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 6.6 assists.
Seeking team legacy
SGA has been dominant. Wemby has pleaded his case with uniqueness and elite defence on top of his all-around skill set. Luka led the NBA in scoring and caught fire in the spring, tormenting his opponents with an unseen offensive arsenal as he averaged 37.5 points per game in March.
As of now, he’s ineligible for postseason awards because he played in 64 games, falling one contest short of the required 65 to be eligible. The Lakers submitted an appeal, trying to have his game recognised.
The league is overflowing with talent, making this one of the tightest MVP races in recent memory. Still, given the season he’s put together, the idea of Jokic falling short feels almost surreal. His production is not just elite - it’s unprecedented.
Jokic is a pure type of a one-of-a-kind player the world will most likely never see again. The true dimension of his achievements might not be recognised until years later.
After completing the 82-game scheme, the MVP plea has ended. And while players cannot add to their MVP odds now, they can make an impact where it matters the most – in the pursuit of a team championship.
And while individual awards matter, true legacy rests in franchise titles. Playing in his prime, Jokic can propel the Nuggets to their second-ever Larry O’Brien trophy. And if he does - without adding another MVP - the numbers won’t be the only thing that look extraordinary. The voting might, too.