Despite Nikola Jokić’s outstanding performance and record-breaking season, the MVP award was given to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Jokić averaged 27.7 points, 12.9 rebounds, and 10.7 assists per game, becoming the first player in NBA history to lead the league in both rebounds and assists. However, he was not named MVP, for the second consecutive year.

Jokić's season was nothing short of exceptional. His performances have become almost routine, yet he has set new benchmarks in the game. Meanwhile, Gilgeous-Alexander, leading the league's best team with over 30 points per game, has become the NBA's new face and symbol of the current generation.

Gilgeous-Alexander received 83 first-place votes, while Jokić received just 10. Nevertheless, Jokić has achieved a feat that only two others have accomplished in NBA history: finishing in the top two in MVP voting for six consecutive seasons. Bill Russell and Larry Bird are the only players to have achieved this feat before him. Despite this historical continuity, Jokić did not win the MVP title.

The NBA's decision to include Luka Dončić and Jayson Tatum in the MVP race despite not meeting the minimum 65-game requirement also sparked controversy. Both players finished the season with 64 games, but were allowed to remain in the race due to "special circumstances." Dončić finished fourth in the MVP voting, while Tatum was fifth, leading to criticism about the selective application of rules.

The question lingers: what more does Nikola Jokić need to do to be recognized as the best?