The race for the 2023-24 NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) award has narrowed down to three standout players: Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder, and Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets.
The NBA made the announcement on Sunday, revealing the finalists for all seven major performance awards, including the highly coveted MVP honor.
Luka Doncic, the dynamic Slovenian star of the Mavericks, has emerged as a strong contender for the MVP title. With five years of NBA experience under his belt, Doncic led the regular season standings in points with an impressive average of 33.9 points per game. Additionally, his playmaking abilities were on full display, averaging 9.8 assists per game, placing him second in the league in this category.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the talented Canadian guard for the Oklahoma City Thunder, also secured his place as an MVP finalist. Gilgeous-Alexander showcased his scoring prowess throughout the 2023-24 campaign, averaging 30.1 points per game for the Thunder.
Nikola Jokic, the versatile center for the Denver Nuggets, rounds out the trio of MVP finalists. With an average of 26.4 points and an impressive 12.4 rebounds per game, Jokic has demonstrated his dominance on both ends of the court. His exceptional playmaking skills, averaging 9 assists per game, further solidify his candidacy for the prestigious award.
Notably, Jokic previously clinched back-to-back NBA MVP awards in 2021 and 2022, further emphasizing his status as one of the league’s top talents.
As the NBA playoffs are underway, the winners of the seven individual awards, including the MVP, are expected to be announced soon. Last season, the MVP title was claimed by Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers.
In addition to the MVP race, other notable finalists for NBA awards include Alperen Sengun of the Houston Rockets for Most Improved Player and Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs for both Defensive Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year. The NBA Coach of the Year finalists include Mark Daigneault of the Oklahoma City Thunder, Chris Finch of the Minnesota Timberwolves, and Jamahl Mosley of the Orlando Magic.
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