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On Wednesday, the NBA announced that Denver Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic had won the 2023-24 MVP award over OKC Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Dallas Mavericks' Luka Doncic.
“The Joker” joined a list of only eight other players in league history to have been given the honor at least three times. If not for Joel Embiid bringing home the bacon last year, the Serbian might have made it four in a row.
While many anticipated the result, a handful thought that Jokic should not have been given another Michael Jordan Trophy. Shaquille O’Neal, who congratulated the Denver Nuggets center on national TV, pointedly told the big man that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander should have been the winner. Dwight Howard later followed on X, formerly Twitter.
Howard posted back-to-back tweets that have since been deleted:
“Call Batman up the Joker out here robbing,” he tweeted.
The former NBA player who called himself “Superman” added:
“First Joel now Shai? Don’t get me wrong Joker was cooking this year but Shai was Killing !”
Dwight Howard didn’t like the response to those tweets so he took them down and explained:
“I saw that video of Superman and I had to delete my tweets because I can’t be like that! I’m proud of Jokić! Im just saying now you gotta say he top 5 all time! 3 MVPs? Shai had my vote but he a killer! So I know he’ll be back next year”
In the first two years of Nikola Jokic’s MVP run, Joel Embiid finished second. While most agreed he was the deserving winner in 2021, the following year was an entirely different story. Some thought that “The Process” was robbed of the award. In 2023, Embiid finally got his but Jokic was in striking distance.
This year, Embiid was on a historic tear and was the clear race leader before he suffered a knee injury in January. When he couldn’t play enough games to be eligible, Jokic was again in pole position with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luka Doncic chasing him.
While fans and even former players are hotly debating the issue, “The Joker” is taking everything in stride. He wouldn’t have objected to Embiid winning in 2022 and probably this year. He perhaps never even listens to the noise and only cares about winning the championship.
Dwight Howard could complain again in 2025 if Nikola Jokic gets 2nd back-to-back MVP season
Shaquille O’Neal and Dwight Howard are convinced that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will use this year’s supposed “snub” as fuel for next season. “SGA” could eventually get his first Michael Jordan Trophy but no one can still count out Nikola Jokic.
If the Denver Nuggets get swept in the second round by the Minnesota Timberwolves, look for the Serbian to be even more engaged and driven next season.
There may be such a thing as “voter fatigue” when it comes to naming the MVP, but anything is still possible. If Nikola Jokic puts together another mind-boggling season and ties LeBron James and Bill Russell for four MVPs in five years, it would be interesting to see what Howard could have to say about that.
