As the backup to Nikola Jokic, it’s no surprise to see DeAndre Jordan vouch for the 30-year-old to win his fourth MVP. However, Jordan had some hilarious reasoning for why he felt so strongly about the race, which he shared during his appearance on FanDuel TV’s Run It Back.
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When Chandler Parsons asked the veteran center to make Jokic’s MVP case as the current runner-up favorite, DeAndre 3000 pointed out the Serbian’s triple-double average, which has been in line with his production over the last four seasons.
Jordan credited Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and everything he has accomplished with the Thunder this season, but the All-NBA guard still isn’t his pick for MVP. “Nikola [Jokic] is so valuable to our team, especially what he’s doing at his size,” the 36-year-old said. “The way he passes the basketball, gets everyone in involved is great.”
Jordan listed off several legitimate reasons why Jokic should once again be crowned MVP, including his underrated defensive role.
But he also shared one selfish reason why he’s so vocal about the race. “Jokic will always be our MVP. One, because he is, and two, because I don’t wanna get traded,” Jordan added with a hearty laugh.
. @DeAndre Jordan makes the case for Nikola Jokic to win MVP over SGA:
"Jokic will always be our MVP. One because he is, and two because I don't wanna get traded." 😂@MichelleDBeadle | @ChandlerParsons | @TeamLou23 pic.twitter.com/qxHfmVUm27
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) March 6, 2025
At this point, it feels as if Jokic should be winning MVP every season, similar to LeBron James in his prime. However, as we’ve seen in the past, voter fatigue is a real thing, again, like with James in his prime.
With three awards in the last four seasons, it will be an uphill battle for the Nuggets star to sway voters, even if he does deserve the nomination.
New names have joined Nikola Jokic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on the MVP ladder
Despite still being the heavy market favorite, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander dropped below Jokic in the most recent Kia MVP ladder. The transcendent big man’s excellence is simply too much to overlook, even if he has three of the last four MVP awards.
Considering what SGA has done with the 51-11 Thunder this season, it appears to be a two-man race for the award in the closing weeks of the season.
However, a few other contenders have arisen in recent weeks, possibly making the final stretch of the race more interesting than originally predicted.
Jayson Tatum, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and LeBron James fill out the rest of the top five, with each superstar currently in a sensational stretch of games themselves.
Tatum has remained the alpha in Boston’s title defense season, while Giannis has maintained his grip on the league’s second-best scoring average.
LeBron, meanwhile, has come out of nowhere after winning February’s Player of the Month Award. Alongside Luka Doncic, the King looks reinvigorated and could find enough juice in the tank in year 22 to make a real push for his fifth MVP award.
