Several NBA enthusiasts were dismayed when Nikola Jokic was awarded the 2023-24 regular season MVP award. Shaquille O’Neal even told Jokic to his face that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander deserved the honor over him. Meanwhile, for many fans, the league’s leading scorer, Luka Doncic should have clinched his maiden MVP award. Giannis Antetokounmpo’s brother and teammate, Thanasis Antetokounmpo believes Doncic was snubbed.
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Thanasis went to Bootleg Kev podcast and relayed his astonishment about the Dallas Mavericks guard not clinching the 2024 MVP award. He added that his brother Giannis might have also had a strong case. He stated,
“To me, it’s still crazy that Luka didn’t win and Giannis didn’t, now that’s another. But it is what it is.”
Furthermore, the Bucks forward lamented about the prevalent inconsistencies while handing over the highest regular season honor. He argued that sometimes the award is given based on stats but sometimes it is handed to those with better team records. It seems the criteria fluctuate with each season. Does Thanasis Antetokounmpo have a point?
Nikola Jokic had the numbers and an elite team record to stake a claim on the MVP guard. But he had won it twice before, so, many in the NBA universe wanted a new face to clinch the award. Doncic was on a tear throughout the season, with numbers and team impact both on his side.
While he had a terrific case to win the honor last season, it will not be long before he finally nabs one. For him, the priority is winning a title over anything else.
Luka Doncic was unbothered by the “snub”
During the 2021 playoffs, after leading his Mavs to a Game 1 win over the LA Clippers, Doncic was asked about being left out of the NBA MVP finalists race. He revealed that he doesn’t give a hoot about the accolade, turning his focus on winning a ring for his franchise. He told ESPN,
“I don’t really care about MVP. … What’s important is championship, and obviously, that’s our goal this season.”
On the other hand, Giannis Antetokounmpo, who has already won two MVP awards, has also said that there is no point in sulking over not winning the award. In 2023, the Bucks superstar told Sam Amick, “I’m never going to make myself look like I’m crying for a trophy”.
At the same time, like his brother, the Greek Freak has also expressed concern over the way the MVP award is decided upon. The regular season MVP debate has featured several divided opinions because of its varying criteria.
