Nikola Jokic wins MVP: when was he drafted? In which round of the draft?
The Serbian center has won the 2020-21 MVP award for its incredible season. The Nuggets will face the Suns on their postseason run and race for the finals.
The center for the Denver Nuggets has won this year's NBA most valuable player, beating in the process 76ers Joel Embiid and Warriors point guard Stephen Curry has confirmed Shams Charania. Jokic had 26.4 points on average, 8.3 assists, and 10.8 rebounds in 72 games, firing 56% from the floor and 38% from deep. He also led the team in offensive and defensive win percentages.
When was he drafted?
Jokic was drafted on the second round with a 41st pick, an incredible play by Denver, who made a gambled for the Serbian. The center had its first incredible season in 2018-19, which coincided with the Nuggets making the postseason for the first time in quite some time. Jokic put pen to paper and signed a new contract, $148 million for five years.
According to nba.com, Jokic "received 91 first-place votes and earned 971 total points from a global panel of 100 sportswriters and broadcasters as well as the Kia NBA Most Valuable Player Award fan vote, making for 101 ballots. Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid, 586 points, finished in second place, followed by Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, 453 points, in third place, Milwaukee Bucks forward Antetokounmpo, 348 points, in fourth place, and Phoenix Suns guard Chris Paul, 139 points, in fifth place."
5th international player to win MVP
Jokic becomes the 5th international player to receive the MVP award, behind Hakeem Olajuwon, Steve Nash, Dirk Nowitzki, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Nikola Jokic. The Serbian had become famous long before establishing himself as one of the world's best players, but more because while the Nuggets were picking him, the draft on T.V. was running a Taco Bell commercial.