NBA analyst Stephen A. Smith compares Nikola Jokic’s 2025 MVP award race situation to Michael Jordan.
The Denver Nuggets are currently on a two-game skid following their back-to-back defeats against the Minnesota Timberwolves and the San Antonio Spurs.
While Nikola Jokic was rested for the Spurs game, the Serbian superstar gave his best against the Timberwolves as he finished the night with a 61-point triple-double.
Many argued this performance should put Jokic ahead of OKC Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the 2025 NBA MVP race. However, NBA analyst Stephen A. Smith made a Michael Jordan-like point about why Jokic will likely not be the MVP this season.
Jordan is widely regarded as the greatest basketball player to ever play in the NBA. If we ignore his two-year stint with the Washington Wizards, MJ was viewed as arguably the best player in the league throughout his 13 seasons with the Chicago Bulls.
However, Jordan won five regular-season MVP awards. Stephen A. recently claimed that the media and fans know that Jokic is the best player in the MVP right now, but similar to Mike, he won’t win the honor every year.
“There’s plenty of times Michael Jordan didn’t win MVP, and we knew he’s the best player in the league. We underestimate how strong Jokic is. He’s a strong, strong brother.
“I’m looking at Antman next to him, Antman looks like a child next to him, a little kid. He’s so big he’s so wide, he’s just backing him down, what are you supposed to do with this guy. Jokic is special. There is no question about that.”
Smith pointed out how someone like Anthony Edwards dwarfs in comparison to the Joker. He is indeed a special player, but all things point to SGA taking home the honor.
Not many players in the NBA are capable of recording a 61-point triple-double. Former NBA player Jay Williams claimed if someone like LeBron James or Stephen Curry had achieved this milestone, the media wouldn’t have stopped talking about it.
“If LeBron or Steph dropped 61, 10, and 10 in a game this time of year, we’d shut down the internet & ESPN would talk about it for 2 days straight. But when Jokic does it, it’s just another night.
“Why? Because he doesn’t look the part. He’s not flashy, not loud. But make no mistake — skill for skill, he’s already outpacing Shaq [O’Neal], Hakeem [Olajuwon], even Kareem [Abdul-Jabbar].
“We’re just afraid to say it. Jokic isn’t just the best player in the world — he’s quietly building one of the greatest legacies we’ve ever seen — and the media is still acting like it’s a fluke.”
Being the 41st overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, Jokic has already surpassed all expectations that fans had for him a decade or so ago.
Even after winning an NBA Championship, NBA Finals MVP, and three NBA MVPs, Jokic continues his nonchalant approach to the game.
Williams believes that is the biggest reason behind people diminishing the 30-year-old’s legacy in the NBA.
