{"id":191550,"date":"2021-06-09T15:12:50","date_gmt":"2021-06-09T13:12:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nba.africa-newsroom.com\/press\/Denvers-Nikola-Jokic-wins-202021-Kia--NBA--most--valuable-player-award?lang=en"},"modified":"2021-06-09T15:12:50","modified_gmt":"2021-06-09T13:12:50","slug":"denvers-nikola-joki-wins-2020-21-kia-nba-most-valuable-player-award","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/denvers-nikola-joki-wins-2020-21-kia-nba-most-valuable-player-award\/","title":{"rendered":"Denver’s Nikola Joki? wins 2020-21 Kia NBA Most Valuable Player Award"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"National<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Joki\u0107 is the recipient of the Maurice Podoloff Trophy as the 2020-21 Kia NBA Most Valuable Player, the NBA (www.NBA.com<\/a>) announced today.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

With the first Kia NBA MVP Award of his career, Joki\u0107 becomes the first player to earn the honor as a member of the Nuggets.  He is also the first player from Serbia to be selected as the NBA MVP and joins Dirk Nowitzki (Germany) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (Greece) as MVP winners from Europe.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

A second-round pick selected 41st<\/sup> overall by Denver in the 2014 NBA Draft, Joki\u0107 is the lowest-drafted player to be named NBA MVP with the exception of three-time MVP Moses Malone, who was not selected in the NBA Draft.  The previous lowest-drafted players to win the award were two-time MVPs Antetokounmpo and Steve Nash, both selected with the 15th<\/sup> overall pick in their respective drafts.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Joki\u0107 received 91 first-place votes and earned 971 total points from a global panel of 100 sportswriters and broadcasters as well as the Kia NBA Most Valuable Player Award fan vote, making for 101 ballots.  Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (586 points) finished in second place, followed by Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (453 points) in third place, Milwaukee Bucks forward Antetokounmpo (348 points) in fourth place and Phoenix Suns guard Chris Paul (139 points) in fifth place.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Players received 10 points for each first-place vote, seven points for each second-place vote, five points for each third-place vote, three points for each fourth-place vote and one point for each fifth-place vote.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

In his sixth NBA season, Joki\u0107 played all 72 games and averaged a career-high 26.4 points, 10.9 rebounds, a career-high 8.4 assists and 1.32 steals in 34.8 minutes.  With his season averages, Joki\u0107 ranked 12th<\/sup> in the NBA in points, ninth in rebounds, sixth in assists and 22nd<\/sup> in steals.  He is the third player in NBA history to average at least 26.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 8.0 assists in a season, joining Oscar Robertson and Russell Westbrook.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Joki\u0107 made an NBA-leading 732 field goals and shot 56.6 percent from the field, 38.8 percent from three-point range and a career-high 86.8 percent from the free throw line.  He led the NBA in double-doubles with 60 and ranked second in triple-doubles with 16.  Joki\u0107 set single-game career highs in points with 50 (vs. the Sacramento Kings on Feb. 6); rebounds with 22 (vs. the Suns on Jan. 23); assists with 18 (vs. the Rockets on Dec. 28); and steals with seven (vs. the Brooklyn Nets on Jan. 12).<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Behind Joki\u0107, Denver posted a 47-25 record and earned the third seed in the Western Conference for the 2021 NBA Playoffs.  The Nuggets finished with the fifth-highest single-season winning percentage in franchise history (.653).<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

An NBA All-Star selection for the third consecutive season, Joki\u0107 was named the Kia NBA Western Conference Player of the Month twice (December\/January and March) and the NBA Western Conference Player of the Week three times (Weeks 5, 6 and 13).<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Joki\u0107, 26, has played all six of his NBA seasons with Denver, averaging 18.5 points, 9.8 rebounds and 6.0 assists in 453 career games.  This season, he broke the franchise records for career double-doubles and triple-doubles.  He also became the first Nuggets player to start an NBA All-Star Game since 2011.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

For the 12th<\/sup> consecutive season, the NBA and Kia America gave fans the opportunity to vote for the Kia NBA Most Valuable Player Award.  The fan vote, conducted online and through Twitter, counted as one vote toward determining the winner.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

The Kia NBA Most Valuable Player Award trophy is named in honor of Maurice Podoloff, who served as the NBA’s first commissioner from 1946 until his retirement in 1963.  Podoloff was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1974.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

The voting results for the 2020-21 Kia NBA Most Valuable Player Award are below.  The balloting was tabulated by the independent accounting firm Ernst & Young LLP.  Complete ballots for each voter will be posted at https:\/\/PR.NBA.com<\/a> after the announcement of all end-of-season awards.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n

Voting Results: 2020-21 Kia N<\/strong>BA<\/strong> Most Valuable Player Award<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Player (Team)<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

1st<\/sup> Place Votes<\/strong><\/p>\n

(10 Points)<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

2nd<\/sup> Place <\/strong>Votes<\/strong><\/p>\n

(7 Points)<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

3rd<\/sup> Place <\/strong>Votes<\/strong><\/p>\n

(5 Points)<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

4th<\/sup> Place <\/strong>Votes<\/strong><\/p>\n

(3 Points)<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

5th<\/sup> Place <\/strong>Votes<\/strong><\/p>\n

(1 Point)<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Total Points<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Nikola Joki\u0107 (Denver)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

91<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

8<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

1<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

0<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

0<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

971<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Joel Embiid (Philadelphia)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

1<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

62<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

23<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

8<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

3<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

586<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Stephen Curry (Golden State)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

5<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

23<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

32<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

23<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

13<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

453<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

1<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

5<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

34<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

41<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

10<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

348<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Chris Paul (Phoenix)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

2<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

2<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

8<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

13<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

26<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

139<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Luka Don\u010di\u0107 (Dallas)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

0<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

1<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

0<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

7<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

14<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

42<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Damian Lillard (Portland)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

0<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

0<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

1<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

5<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

18<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

38<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Julius Randle (New York)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

0<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

0<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

1<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

2<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

9<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

20<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Derrick Rose (New York)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

1<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

0<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

0<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

0<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

0<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

10<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Rudy Gobert (Utah)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

0<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

0<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

0<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

1<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

5<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

8<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Russell Westbrook (Washington)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

0<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

0<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

1<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

0<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

0<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

5<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Ben Simmons (Philadelphia)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

0<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

0<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

0<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

1<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

0<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

3<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

James Harden (Brooklyn)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

0<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

0<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

0<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

0<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

1<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

1<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

LeBron James (Los Angeles Lakers)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

0<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

0<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

0<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

0<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

1<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

1<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Kawhi Leonard (LA Clippers)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

0<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

0<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

0<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

0<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

1<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

1<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

<\/div>\n<\/p>\n

Below is the list of winners of the Kia NBA Most Valuable Player Award.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
\n

Kia N<\/strong>BA<\/strong> Most Valuable Player Winners<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

1955-56 <\/strong>– Bob Pettit, St. Louis<\/p>\n

1956-57 <\/strong>– Bob Cousy, Boston<\/p>\n

1957-58 <\/strong>– Bill Russell, Boston<\/p>\n

1958-59 <\/strong>– Bob Pettit, St. Louis<\/p>\n

1959-60 <\/strong>– Wilt Chamberlain, Philadelphia<\/p>\n

1960-61 <\/strong>– Bill Russell, Boston<\/p>\n

1961-62 <\/strong>– Bill Russell, Boston<\/p>\n

1962-63 <\/strong>– Bill Russell, Boston<\/p>\n

1963-64 <\/strong>– Oscar Robertson, Cincinnati<\/p>\n

1964-65 <\/strong>– Bill Russell, Boston<\/p>\n

1965-66 <\/strong>– Wilt Chamberlain, Philadelphia<\/p>\n

1966-67 <\/strong>– Wilt Chamberlain, Philadelphia<\/p>\n

1967-68<\/strong> – Wilt Chamberlain, Philadelphia<\/p>\n

1968-69<\/strong> – Wes Unseld, Baltimore<\/p>\n

1969-70<\/strong> – Willis Reed, New York<\/p>\n

1970-71<\/strong> – Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Milwaukee<\/p>\n

1971-72<\/strong> – Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Milwaukee<\/p>\n

1972-73<\/strong> – Dave Cowens, Boston<\/p>\n

1973-74<\/strong> – Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Milwaukee<\/p>\n

1974-75<\/strong> – Bob McAdoo, Buffalo<\/p>\n

1975-76<\/strong> – Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, L.A. Lakers<\/p>\n

1976-77<\/strong> – Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, L.A. Lakers<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

1977-78 <\/strong>– Bill Walton, Portland<\/p>\n

1978-79 <\/strong>– Moses Malone, Houston<\/p>\n

1979-80 <\/strong>– Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, L.A. Lakers<\/p>\n

1980-81 <\/strong>– Julius Erving, Philadelphia<\/p>\n

1981-82 <\/strong>– Moses Malone, Houston<\/p>\n

1982-83 <\/strong>– Moses Malone, Philadelphia<\/p>\n

1983-84 <\/strong>– Larry Bird, Boston<\/p>\n

1984-85 <\/strong>– Larry Bird, Boston<\/p>\n

1985-86 <\/strong>– Larry Bird, Boston<\/p>\n

1986-87 <\/strong>– Magic Johnson, L.A. Lakers<\/p>\n

1987-88 <\/strong>– Michael Jordan, Chicago<\/p>\n

1988-89 <\/strong>– Magic Johnson, L.A. Lakers<\/p>\n

1989-90 <\/strong>– Magic Johnson, L.A. Lakers<\/p>\n

1990-91 <\/strong>– Michael Jordan, Chicago<\/p>\n

1991-92 <\/strong>– Michael Jordan, Chicago<\/p>\n

1992-93 <\/strong>– Charles Barkley, Phoenix<\/p>\n

1993-94 <\/strong>– Hakeem Olajuwon, Houston<\/p>\n

1994-95 <\/strong>– David Robinson, San Antonio<\/p>\n

1995-96 <\/strong>– Michael Jordan, Chicago<\/p>\n

1996-97 <\/strong>– Karl Malone, Utah<\/p>\n

1997-98 <\/strong>– Michael Jordan, Chicago<\/p>\n

1998-99 <\/strong>– Karl Malone, Utah<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

1999-00 <\/strong>– Shaquille O’Neal, L.A. Lakers<\/p>\n

2000-01 <\/strong>– Allen Iverson, Philadelphia<\/p>\n

2001-02 <\/strong>– Tim Duncan, San Antonio<\/p>\n

2002-03 <\/strong>– Tim Duncan, San Antonio<\/p>\n

2003-04 <\/strong>– Kevin Garnett, Minnesota<\/p>\n

2004-05 <\/strong>– Steve Nash, Phoenix<\/p>\n

2005-06 <\/strong>– Steve Nash, Phoenix<\/p>\n

2006-07 <\/strong>– Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas<\/p>\n

2007-08 <\/strong>– Kobe Bryant, L.A. Lakers<\/p>\n

2008-09 <\/strong>– LeBron James, Cleveland<\/p>\n

2009-10 <\/strong>– LeBron James, Cleveland<\/p>\n

2010-11 <\/strong>– Derrick Rose, Chicago<\/p>\n

2011-12 <\/strong>– LeBron James, Miami<\/p>\n

2012-13 <\/strong>– LeBron James, Miami<\/p>\n

2013-14 <\/strong>– Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City<\/p>\n

2014-15 <\/strong>– Stephen Curry, Golden State<\/p>\n

2015-16 <\/strong>– Stephen Curry, Golden State<\/p>\n

2016-17 <\/strong>– Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City<\/p>\n

2017-18 <\/strong>– James Harden, Houston<\/p>\n

2018-19 <\/strong>– Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee<\/p>\n

2019-20 <\/strong>– Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee<\/p>\n

2020-21<\/strong> – Nikola Joki\u0107, Denver <\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

<\/div>\n

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of National Basketball Association (NBA).<\/i><\/p>\n

About Kia America<\/strong>:<\/strong>
\nHeadquartered in Irvine, California, Kia America continues to top quality surveys and is recognized as one of the 100 Best Global Brands.  Kia serves as the “Official Automotive Partner” of the NBA and offers a complete range of vehicles sold through a network of more than 750 dealers in the U.S., including cars and SUVs proudly assembled in America.* <\/em>For media information, including photography, visit <\/em>www.Kiamedia.com<\/a><\/em>.  To receive custom email notifications for press releases the moment they are published, subscribe at<\/em> (https:\/\/bit.ly\/3it6vvh<\/a>)<\/em>.<\/em>
\n*The Telluride, Sorento and K5 are assembled in the United States from U.S. and globally sourced parts.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Media files<\/b>
\"National<\/a>
Download logo<\/a><\/div>\n

Source: Africa Newsroom – APO<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Joki\u0107 is the recipient of the Maurice Podoloff Trophy as the 2020-21 Kia NBA Most Valuable Player, the NBA (www.NBA.com) announced today. With the first Kia NBA MVP Award of his career, Joki\u0107 becomes the first player to earn the honor as a member of the Nuggets.  He is also the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":191551,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[4584],"tags":[4585],"class_list":{"0":"post-191550","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-africa-news-2","8":"tag-apo","9":"entry"},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/denvers-nikola-joki-wins-2020-21-kia-nba-most-valuable-player-award.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/191550","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=191550"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/191550\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/191551"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=191550"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=191550"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=191550"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}