"Remember when you laughed at me?" - Denver Nuggets come up with savage Nikola Jokic T-shirt after 3rd MVP win
Denver Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic received his third Most Valuable Player award ahead of the Game 5 semifinal duel against the Minnesota Timberwolves at home on Tuesday. To mark the event, the team wore T-shirts celebrating The Joker's journey from underdog to superstardom.
The shirt has an image of a young Jokic on the front wearing a Nuggets sweatshirt, with a text that reads:
"Remember when you laughed at me?"
At the back, there is a silhouette of the Serbian sensation with the typography:
"Now I Have 3 MVP!"
This references the early skepticism he faced due to his perceived lack of speed and athleticism, qualities he has since made up for with finesse and a high basketball I.Q. Despite being a second-round pick in the 2014 NBA draft, he is now a three-time MVP.
Nikola Jokic has won three of the last four MVP NBA awards, placing him in the elite company of legends who have secured three or more of the same honor.
The list includes Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (6), Bill Russell (5), Michael Jordan (5), Wilt Chamberlain (4), LeBron James (4), Magic Johnson (3), Larry Bird (3), Moses Malone (3) and Jokic himself (3).
In winning this year's award, Jokic edged out Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the OKC Thunder and Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks. This season he averaged 26.4 points, 12.4 rebounds and 9 assists for the Nuggets (57-25).
Nikola Jokic proudly shares third MVP award with teammates
Nikola Jokic acknowledged that the MVP honor would not have been possible without the help of his teammates.
Jokic received 79 of 99 first-place votes from NBA media. OKC Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 15 first-place votes, Dallas Mavericks' Luka Doncic had four, and Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo had one first-place vote.
In an interview with TNT The Joker said:
"It's got to start with your teammates. Without them, I'm nothing. Without them, I cannot do nothing. Coaches, players, organization, medical staff, development coaches, I cannot be whoever I am without them."
On Tuesday, Jokic and the defending NBA champions Denver Nuggets went up 3-2 in the series with the final score of 112-97. The newly minted MVP led the charge, with 40 points, on 15-22 shooting, 13 assists, seven rebounds and two steals in 41 minutes of play.