NHL MVP & Avalanche superstar honors Nikola Jokic with 2023-24 NBA MVP award, reciprocating after Nuggets star gave him Hart Trophy earlier
NHL MVP Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche presented Nikola Jokic with the 2023-24 MVP trophy. MacKinnon brought the trophy to the Serbian center before the LA Clippers vs. Denver Nuggets contest on Saturday at the Ball Arena.
This is the Nuggets' second home game of the season. MacKinnon and the Avalanche played against the Utah Hockey Club on Thursday when the Nuggets played their season opener against the OKC Thunder.
Nathan MacKinnon presenting the NBA MVP trophy to Nikola Jokic comes two weeks after Jokic did the same. On Oct. 12, Jokic had presented MacKinnon with the Hart Memorial Trophy.
While this is MacKinnon's first MVP Award, Jokic bagged his third. The Nuggets center took home back-to-back MVPs in 2021 and 2022. He was also the runner-up in 2023 after he received 15 first-place votes. That year's winner, Joel Embiid, got 73 first-place votes.
With three MVP Awards to his name, Jokic is now halfway to tying Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the most in league history.
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Nikola Jokic is off to a blazing start for the 2024-25 season
The Denver Nuggets might be weaker after losing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope this past summer and Bruce Brown during the 2023 offseason. Both players were key contributors to the team's title run and having both walk away in free agency is a bitter blow to Denver's hopes of another title.
However, as long as Nikola Jokic is up to his usual tricks, the Nuggets can be considered contenders. He showed the league once again why he is a three-time league MVP and why his team is a title threat with his performance on Thursday.
Against the OKC Thunder, Jokic began the season with a triple-double. He tallied 16 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists with two steals and one block. With this stat line, Jokic recorded his 131st career triple-double.
However, it was not enough to propel his team to victory. The Thunder, led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren, buried the Nuggets under a 15-point deficit (102-87).
SGA had 28 points, seven rebounds and eight assists. He also worked on the defensive end with two steals and three blocks. Meanwhile, Holmgren recorded a double-double with 25 points and 14 rebounds. He was also a force on defense with two steals and four blocks.
The Nuggets won't have to wait long for a chance for revenge. They will face the Thunder again on Nov. 6. That will be the second game of their four-game season series. Their final two games will be played back-to-back on March 9 and 10.