Nikola Jokić Praises Joel Embiid amid NBA MVP Race: '1 of the Most Dominant Players'

Nikola Jokić didn't get a chance to go head-to-head with Joel Embiid, but he nevertheless had high praise of his MVP co-favorite after Monday night's game against the Philadelphia 76ers.

"I think he's a great player," Jokić said after the Nuggets' 116-111 victory. "I think he's gonna be remembered as one of the most dominant players in the league. The guy's a beast, and he's so talented.

"He can affect [the game] many ways on the floor. He can post up, he can face up, he can shoot 3s. He can defend really well. He can, in some situations, guard 1 through 5. So he's a really, really good player."

Jokić finished with 25 points, 17 rebounds and 12 assists to lead Denver as Embiid and James Harden sat out with injuries. The game was billed as an anticipated showdown between the two superstar big men who are potentially set to finish 1-2 in NBA MVP balloting for the third straight season.

Instead, the Sixers chose to sit Embiid as he deals with a lingering calf injury.

That decision helped shift the MVP odds, with Jokić (+120) and Embiid (+105) essentially sitting neck-and-neck at FanDuel Sportsbook. Embiid had carved out a somewhat sizable lead in the race in recent weeks and seemed like he was trending toward his first MVP.

The debate between Jokić and Embiid has been perhaps the single hottest topic discussed throughout the 2022-23 season. While both players have been putting up spectacular numbers, the debate has shifted to an often-nasty narrative battle—one that's led both players to essentially wash their hands of the debate and say they're focused on winning basketball.

Here's to hoping fans and pundits take after the players and focus on praising Embiid and Jokić rather than looking to rip them apart in favor of their desired narrative.