Jokic earns 2023 NBA Finals MVP honors

Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic was named the 2023 Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP after recording 28 points, 16 rebounds, four assists, and a block in the championship-clinching victory over the Miami Heat on Monday.

Jokic is the first player ever to lead a single postseason in total points, rebounds, and assists, according to ESPN Stats & Info.

He’s just the fifth non-American player to win the award, joining Hakeem Olajuwon, Tony Parker, Dirk Nowitzki, and Giannis Antetokounmpo.

The Nuggets star was unanimously voted Finals MVP by an 11-person media panel.

“We are not in it for ourselves; we are in it for the guy next to us,” Jokic said, according to The Associated Press. “And that’s why this (means) even more.”

Over five Finals contests, the 28-year-old averaged 30.2 points, 14 rebounds, 7.2 assists, and 1.4 blocks in 41 minutes per game. The Nuggets star shot 58.3% from the field, 42.1% from three, and 83.8% from the free-throw line.

Denver won the first NBA championship in franchise history after beating the Heat in five games.

Jokic winning Finals MVP adds another piece of hardware to his collection. The Serbian superstar won back-to-back regular-season MVPs in 2021 and 2022.

The Nuggets star also took home conference finals MVP after sweeping the Los Angeles Lakers, averaging 27.8 points, 14.5 rebounds, and 11.8 assists.

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