“When I’m old, fat and grumpy, I’m going to tell my kids back in the day, I was really good playing basketball”: Nikola Jokic addresses winning back-to-back MVP

Arjun Julka | 12/05/2022
"When I'm old, fat and grumpy, I'm going to tell my kids back in the day, I was really good playing basketball": Nikola Jokic addresses winning back-to-back MVP

Nuggets big man Nikola Jokic reacts to being the 13th player and 5th center in NBA history to win back-to-back MVP.

The 2021-22 season was a bitter-sweet campaign for Nikola Jokic, who won his second consecutive MVP but faced a first-round elimination in the playoffs at the hands of the Warriors. Nonetheless, The Joker would continue to fill the stat sheet with impressive numbers.

Currently enjoying his off-season in Serbia, Jokic joined the cast of Inside the NBA to share his feelings on winning back-to-back MVP. The Joker averaged 27.1 PPG, 13.8 RPG, and 7.9 APG during the regular season on 58.3% shooting from the field.

With 19 of them, Jokic led the league in triple-doubles this season, ranking 7th on the all-time list. The four-time All-Star joined the ranks of Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Moses Malone as the 5th center to win back-to-back MVPs.

Also read: “It wasn’t like it went to some scrub, it went to Nikola Jokic”: Stephen A. Smith questions Joel Embiid’s intent as Heat thrash Sixers by a 35-point margin

Live from Serbia, seated outside his horse stable, Jokic would join the cast of Inside the NBA to discuss his back-to-back MVP.

Nikola Jokic opens up on winning his second consecutive MVP award.

Standing close to seven feet, Jokic is one of the most skilled big men the league has ever seen. The Joker can not only dominate the paint but shoot the ball too. The Nuggets superstar has the IQ of a point guard, dishing out some mind-boggling assists.

While many believed this season’s MVP belonged to Joel Embiid, nobody can question Jokic getting the accolade for the second consecutive time. The Serbian native carried the Nuggets team entirely on his shoulder amid the absence of Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr.

Post winning his second MVP, Jokic would make his first live television appearance on TNT’s Inside the NBA. When asked about what it meant to join the exclusive club of members to win the prestigious award on back-to-back occasions, Jokic had the following response.

“When I’m old, fat and grumpy, I’m going to tell my kids back in the day, I was really good playing basketball.”

“I think everybody knows I’m the same guy, so hopefully I’m gonna stay the same after this and just to be in that company with Wilt and older guys, we’ve made history in this league and sports. It just means a lot, some kind of legacy.”

With Jokic accomplishing major feats individually, the time has come for The Joker to shift the goalpost to winning an NBA championship in order to solidify his legacy.

Also read: “Drafted during a Taco Bell commercial, Nikola Jokic now joins Wilt Chamberlain and co.”: NBA Twitter reacts as Woj announces Joker as KIA NBA MVP 2022 award

 

Post Edited By: Arjun Julka
2022 NBA MVP Denver Nuggets Nikola Jokic

About the author

Arjun Julka

Arjun Julka is a NBA author at The SportsRush. Basketball isn’t just a sport for this 26-year-old, who hails from Mumbai. He began watching the sport after stumbling upon a court in his society, helping him identify an undiscovered passion for the game of hoops. Now an ardent fan, Arjun supports Stephen Curry and the Warriors but also enjoys watching Giannis Antetokounmpo own the paint. When it comes to the GOAT debate, the TSR author feels LeBron James is yet to receive a lot of his due but cannot deny marveling at Michael Jordan’s resume.

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