Nikola Jokić was beaming as other Nuggets broke into applause. National Basketball Association Commissioner Adam Silver had just congratulated him, via a video linkup that interrupted head coach Michael Malone’s address, for becoming just the sixth non-American to be named Most Valuable Player. The development wasn’t really from left field; he became the prohibitive favorite for the award after early frontrunners LeBron James and Joel Embiid succumbed to injuries that required significant time away from the court. That said, he took in the news with pride, if nothing else because it recognized how much work he put in to get to the top.
Jokić was far from celebrated when the Nuggets saw fit to draft him 41st overall in the 2014 draft. He made nondescript appearances in the Serbian and Adriatic Leagues, but it was nonetheless clear that he had a unique skill set — more than enough on which to spend precious draft capital. The belief that he could become a vital cog spurred the blue and yellow to provide him with opportunities to succeed. And, in turn, he made sure to reward their trust in him with notable progress. He made the All-Rookie First Team, having finished third in Rookie of the Year voting, and then, with dedication to better conditioning, gradually raised his game to where it is today.
To be sure, Jokić has remained a beneficiary of circumstance. The remarkable leap he made in the 2020-21 season coincided with the loss of starting guard and primary pick-and-roll partner Jamal Murray; left with little choice, Malone turned the keys of the offense to him, and he delivered — in spades. And if the Nuggets are deemed among the contenders for the Larry O’Brien Trophy, it’s because he has proven time and again that he can handle the increased workload, and how. Through the regular season, he didn’t just lead the league in just about every crucial advanced metric; he smoked the competition. And he’s so good that, for all his supposed lack of athleticism, the magic he makes with the ball in his hands cannot be replicated.
That Jokić is the first big man to claim the award since Shaquille O’Neal at the turn of the millennium serves only to highlight both his uniqueness and his determination. He has made the most of the chances given him, and, the Sombor Shuffle aside, no one else can do what he does. Which, in a nutshell, is why, in a sea of outstanding individual performers, he has wound up first among equals.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and Human Resources management, corporate communications, and business development.
