Nikola Jokic just became the first second-round draftee to win the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP) after leading the Denver Nuggets to defeat the Miami Heat 4-1 in the series at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado, on Monday.
Jokic failed to win the regular season MVP three times in a row and was passed over for the All-NBA First team this season, but he made history for his team by taking them to the NBA Finals for the first time and winning for the first time.
By contrast, Joel Embiid won the regular season MVP award but failed to take his Philadelphia 76ers further than the Eastern Conference semifinals. He has experienced that pain five times in the six playoff trips of his career so far.
Jokic and Embiid are two of the best centers in today's league, but if there used to be any doubt about who is better, there isn't any now because Jokic has shown himself to be a more valuable player than Embiid.
Nikola Jokic (#15) of the Denver Nuggets holds the Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player trophy after beating the Miami Heat 4-1 in the series to win the NBA championship at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado, June 12, 2023. /CFP
Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers looks on during Game 7 of the NBA Eastern Conference semifinals against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts, May 14, 2023. /CFP
Host: Li Xiang
Cover designer: Feng Yuan