The conversations regarding the 2024-25 NBA MVP award have become a talking point throughout the basketball world. Fans and the media have battled back and forth advocating for who they believe is deserving of the award. Approaching the All-Star break there are only two players in contention, those being Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic.
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Debates about who is more deserving are endless. Few were more intense than the one former teammates Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett shared regarding the MVP.
Pierce and Garnett exchanged in a friendly yet heated debate in a recent episode of Ticket and the Truth. The two butt heads as Pierce’s allegiance sided with Gilgeous-Alexander and Garnett’s favored Jokic. Following Pierce’s explanation, Garnett’s candid reaction summed up his thoughts on the debate. He said,
“So 30 [points], 22 [rebounds] and 14 [assists] ain’t sh*t huh? It’s bogus. You are impacting the game on another level.”
The debate began as the two were discussing Shai’s dominance thus far into the season following his 52-point performance against the Warriors. Shortly after, Garnett asked Pierce who his pick for MVP was, to which the Hall-of-Fame forward unhesitatingly said Shai. Although Garnett recognizes SGA’s greatness, he can’t fathom the idea of choosing anyone other than Jokic.
The former MVP couldn’t get over Jokic’s ridiculous stat line of 33 points, 22 rebounds and 17 assists against the Kings. He is currently averaging a triple-double and is on pace to become the first big man to accomplish the feat. Garnett believes that many wouldn’t even dare to think about the things Jokic is doing on the basketball court.
Their debate was an encapsulation of the ongoing discussion between the majority of NBA fans. However, Garnett is able to give Shai the credit that he deserves.
Garnett praises Gilgeous-Alexander for his stellar play
At this point of the season, Garnett is a firm believer that Jokic is deserving of the MVP. That didn’t prevent him from continuing to give praise to the Canadian superstar for his outstanding play for the Thunder this season. It isn’t the only time he has given praise to Shai and the Thunder.
Following the Thunder’s 6-0 start to the season, Garnett couldn’t contain his praise for OKC’s incredible depth. “Everybody is live at the top!” said Garnett. “I don’t know who get, but whoever got it, he live. Isaiah Joe, [Jalen Williams], Shai [Gilgeous-Alexander], It don’t matter. [The Thunder] got 11 [expletives] that can bust your [expletive], Shouts to OKC, the new dogs, straight up.”
The Thunder’s depth is one of their major strengths. However, they can truly strive due to the presence of a superstar guard in Gilgeous-Alexander. If he continues this level of play for the duration of the season, he’ll have a very compelling case for MVP over Jokic.
