Nikola Jokić Voted Best Player, 2024 NBA MVP over Giannis, Tatum by Coaches, Insiders

Back-to-back MVPs weren't enough to get Nikola Jokić respect as the NBA's best player.

It turns out winning one ring did the job.

Jokić was voted as the NBA's best player in a poll of 15 scouts, coaches and executives conducted by Tim Bontemps of ESPN. The Denver Nuggets star received 13 of 15 votes, with Giannis Antetokounmpo earning the other two.

Jokić had not received a single vote in any of the previous four polls conducted by Bontemps. He is also considered the favorite to win his third NBA MVP in 2023-24, besting Antetokounmpo and Jayson Tatum.

There have only been eight players in NBA history to win at least three MVPs. Jokić is already on the list of 15 players to win at least two Michael Jordan trophies.

Despite finishing second behind Joel Embiid in voting last season, one could argue Jokić was even better than his two MVP campaigns. He averaged 24.5 points, 11.8 rebounds and 9.8 assists while shooting a career-high 63.2 percent from the field.

While his shooting efficiency dipped a little with higher volume in the playoffs, Jokić put together one of the most impressive offensive runs in league history to lead the Nuggets to a title. He put up 30.0 points, 13.5 rebounds and 9.5 assists, foisting Denver on his back on his way to winning Finals MVP.

"It's just how he's good," one Eastern Conference scout told Bontemps. "It's sustainability."

At age 28, Jokić has established himself as one of the greatest offensive big men in NBA history. Winning MVPs clearly locked him in as a Hall of Famer, but it took hoisting a championship to put him over the edge in the eyes of the league.

We'll have to see what he has in store for an encore to determine whether Jokić will remain atop the rankings next season.