As the NBA MVP race comes to an end, the debate has continued on who would win the coveted award. Nikola Jokić and Joel Embiid’s names have been a constant with Jokić winning it the last two years and Embiid being the runner-up on both occasions. The resurgence of the NBA big man and the great rivalry has grasped NBA fans every time it comes down to the debate: Jokić or Embiid. One name is left out a little too often, though.
For the last five seasons, there’s no doubt that Giannis Antetokounmpo has been playing at an MVP level. He won the award in ’19 and ’20, and he proclaimed he wants a third.
“Look, I will never try to create a narrative about the work I put in and maybe that might hurt me because I believe the last five years I’ve been the MVP,” Antetokounmpo stated told Bleacher Report. “Do I want a third MVP? Hell f------ yeah I want a third one. I am extremely competitive. I try to make my team successful. That’s what I get paid for. That’s what I’m here for. I’m never going to be one who discredits anybody else’s work. That’s not who I am as a person. And I will never beg for an MVP award that I believe I deserve. I’m very proud that I’m able to play at an MVP level because that means I’m making my team very successful. That’s the goal.’
The Bucks superstar did theorize that voter fatigue may be playing a role in him not getting the award again.
“Maybe people are just tired of me. And look, I’ll be tired of myself too, I’m not going to lie,” he said.
Embiid and Jokić both have strong cases for the award. Embiid is going to win the scoring title in back-to-back years, averaging a scorching 33.1 points per game while Jokić has led his team to the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference and is nearly averaging a triple double. But Antetokounmpo may have had his best season to date.
The 28-year old averaged a career-high 31.1 points per game this year and led Milwaukee to the best record in the NBA. If it doesn’t happen for Antetokounmpo this year, it will happen eventually, according to him.
“Eventually, they’re going to be like, ‘Man, give this guy this MVP because god----, he’s still here.’ That’s what’s going to happen,” he said.
