The race between Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid for MVP has come right down to the proverbial wire. Some believe that it should be the 76ers star, who has been denied the award for the last 2 years, despite putting in performances of that caliber. Others think that this side of the fanbase does not know how to think, and decide that a math class is required, as they get into all advanced analytics to prove the Joker is better.
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That said, it’s not the fans who will get to vote on who will be the victor of this prestigious award. No, the voters are a select group of people, including those working in NBA media. And of course, a part of that prestigious group is Brian Windhorst.
Why is that important? Well, for years now, the NBA community has wondered about what the voters’ criteria really are when voting for a winner of the award. And as Windy revealed, when it comes to him, a very important life lesson must always be heeded.
Brian Windhorst reveals his wonderful reasoning for selecting anyone in a tie race
Oftentimes in the NBA, even star-level players have certain clauses in their contracts. And if the player is of that kind of level, one of those clauses can be a certain bonus for winning the MVP award. Or, even if no such bonus is present, sometimes players can win the award ahead of signing a new contract with their franchise, meaning they’d be due to win quite a bit of money.
Why is that important? Well, when Brian Windhorst decided to reveal his winning criteria, here is what he had to say.
Brian Windhorst on the financial incentives of MVP voting and reward voting: “My policy has been: if it’s a tie, I’m giving it to the guy who’s getting an extra $30M.”
by u/lopea182 in nba
“If it’s a tie, I’m giving it to a guy who’s getting an extra $30 million.”
So essentially, by saying this out loud, not only is Windhorst making sure the player who wins the award gets his money for a job well done, but also incentivizing franchises to add to give their stars the money they deserve.
The life lesson ‘Never come between a man and their bread’, can be critical at different points in life. And it is clear that Brian Windhorst understands it deeply.
Who is on top of the MVP ladder at the moment?
At the moment, despite all the outcries from fans of Nikola Jokic, it is Joel Embiid who currently sits at the top of the ladder. And given how much the entire NBA community’s narrative has boosted his chances of winning the award this year, we doubt that is going to be seeing any changes.
