Back-to-back MVP Nikola Jokic got a surprise at his horse stable back home in Serbia. Head coach Michael Malone and Nuggets staff had flewn to Serbia to present Jokic with his second straight MVP award.
Animal lover Jokic could be seen wiping away tears as he approached the stables. Friends and family were on hand to sing and congratulate the four-time All-Star before chanting ‘MVP’.
Later that evening Jokic spoke with TNT’s Ernie Johnson in probably the most unusual MVP award interview yet. A hose could be seen in a background and a dog was heard gagging off-screen.
Jokic told Johnson, “I think it’s great. Right now, I didn’t think about it. But when I’m old, fat and grumpy, hopefully I’m gonna remember and I’m gonna tell my kids back in the day, I was really good at playing basketball.”
The Nuggets big man averaged 27.1 points, 13.5 rebounds, 7.1 assists and 1.5 steals per game on 58.3 percent shooting from the field for the 2021-22 season. He led the league with 19 triple doubles, three more than the previous season.
Jokic received 65 of 100 first-place votes and 875 total points compared to runner-up Joel Embiid with 26 first-place votes and 706 points. Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo was the only other player to receive first-place votes with nine.
The Serbian is only the 13th player to win back-to-back MVPs. He now joins an elite list of players that includes Michael Jordan, Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and Stephen Curry.
