On Monday morning, news dropped that Denver Nuggets star big man Nikola Jokic is set to be named this season’s MVP.
Jokic has now won the illustrious award in consecutive seasons. This season, his MVP win seemed less certain compared to the previous one thanks to the incredible regular season that Philadelphia 76ers big man Joel Embiid enjoyed.
At times, Embiid seemed like the favorite for the award. It was clear that he wanted it. That’s why it’s not all that shocking to hear that he was not so thrilled when he learned that he’d fallen short of winning it.
Was told yesterday that those around the Sixers knew the news was coming. Obviously, Joel wasn't thrilled.
— Mike Singer (@msinger) May 9, 2022
Of course, fans on both sides of the coin have been arguing on social media since the news was announced. For Sixers fans, the prime argument against Jokic winning the award is that the Nuggets are currently watching the playoffs from home.
Meanwhile, Embiid has his Sixers in a battle with the Miami Heat in their second-round series. Embiid missed the first two games of the series after suffering a concussion and fractured orbital bone in his team’s previous series.
The Sixers lost Games 1 and 2 against the Heat by wide margins. Now, with Embiid back on the floor, the Sixers have had their way with the Heat. For Philadelphia fans, that may be proof enough regarding who they consider the real MVP to be.
As for Jokic, he will surely look to improve his game even further this offseason so that he can try to join the ranks of elite players who have managed to win three MVP awards.
