Nikola Jokić took home his third Kia regular season MVP award on Wednesday night. It's an incredible accomplishment. Only nine players in NBA history have won three or more MVPs, and in typical Nikola form, he celebrated with a small but tight-knit group of the closest people in his life.
His family was there, including his wife, Natalija, and his daughter, Ognjena. Nuggets assistant coach and fellow Serbia native, Ognjen Stojaković, was also in attendance. As was Jamal Murray, the co-star who's been with Nikola since the very beginning.
"I didn't invite them. They just showed up. Who wants to drive, like, 45 minutes here to get it?" Nikola joked. "But it's nice. It's a special moment."
"It's a journey. It's a process. It's a trust in your team and teammates. Teammates who are trusting in you. It's just a whole collective effort that put me in front of the bright spotlight," Nikola went on to say. "There's a lot of people, players, coaches, development coaches, medical staff behind me. Family, of course, that you guys don't see it."
Jokić has spent the entirety of his nine-year career with the Nuggets. He's built a unique bond with the city of Denver. A bond that crystalized with immortality last June when he helped the franchise take home its first-ever NBA championship after 47 years of existence. That is when Nikola became a Mile High legend. A third regular season MVP only adds to his legacy as perhaps the greatest athlete in Denver history.
"This is going to be my second home, and hopefully, I'm gonna go one time here after I finish my career and still have friends here. I feel the respect that they show me. I'm hanging out in Washington Park and everybody's cheering for me. They're really respectful and I really appreciate it. Nobody's really aggressively bugging me because I'm with the kid. I really, really appreciate that." Jokić said about living in Denver.
Nikola averaged 26.4 points, 12.4 rebounds, 9 assists, and 1.4 steals in his third MVP season. He became the first player in NBA history to finish top-ten in total points, rebounds, assists, and steals in a single season. You can read more about the significance of his 2023-24 season in our historical write-up.
"They're a good fanbase, and I'm really happy that they're on our side every time we are down or up," Jokić said about Nuggets fans. "They are our sixth player."
It's a huge landmark, three MVPs. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan, Bill Russell, LeBron James, Wilt Chamberlain, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, and Moses Malone. And now, Nikola Jokić. That's the list. The former second-round pick has reached all-time great status.
"I think it's legacy for after the career," Jokić said about becoming the NBA's ninth three-time MVP. "I think I'm gonna be more proud of myself after the career."
But in typical Jokić form, he did find time in his MVP acceptance press conference to squeeze in a self-deprecating joke.
"When you're older, you don't want them to look at your videos and say that you're bad. Hopefully, I can talk all the trash when my kids or my nephews grow up," he joked. "I'm going to be a cool grandpa."
Only Nikola.