Only five players in NBA history have won at least four MVP awards: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (six), Michael Jordan, and Bill Russell (five each), while Wilt Chamberlain and LeBron James each secured four. These names often appear in debates about the greatest players of all time.
Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets, with three MVP awards over the last four seasons, stands just behind this elite group. The one season he didn’t win (2022-23), he finished second but claimed Finals MVP as the Nuggets captured their first-ever NBA championship.
Could Jokic join this exclusive club? Though the 2024-25 regular season is just getting underway, Jokic is off to a phenomenal start.
Jokic Averaging a Triple-Double Early in the Season
At 29, Jokic’s numbers are staggering. After 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 per game. Aside from rebounds, these stats would be career bests. He leads the league in both rebounds and assists, and he’s shooting a blistering 52.8% from three-point range.
On Friday night, Jokic’s brilliance was on display again as the Nuggets beat the Miami Heat 135-122. Jokic recorded his 135th career triple-double, finishing with 30 points, 11 rebounds, and 14 assists. He shot 11-of-13 from the field, made his only three-pointer, and converted all seven free throws.
This was Jokic’s fifth triple-double of the season, with four coming in the last six games. In the two games he didn’t reach a triple-double, he fell just one rebound or assist short.
Nuggets Rebounding After Slow Start
The Nuggets began the season sluggishly, losing their first two games to the Oklahoma City Thunder and Los Angeles Clippers. Despite winning their next two games, both required overtime against teams not expected to contend this year, the Brooklyn Nets and Toronto Raptors.
Since then, Denver has gone 6-1 in their last seven games, with their only loss coming against the Timberwolves in a game they narrowly led late but ultimately lost by three points. They handed Oklahoma City its first loss of the season on Wednesday.
A strong team record certainly boosts a player’s MVP candidacy, but narrative also plays a crucial role. While voters may grow tired of voting for Jokic, if he becomes the third player in NBA history to average a triple-double for a season (alongside Russell Westbrook and Oscar Robertson), his case for a fourth MVP might be impossible to ignore. With 73 games left to play, there’s still plenty of time to see if Jokic can achieve this historic feat.
