Who Won the 2021 NBA MVP Award and How Did They Achieve This Honor?

As a lifelong basketball enthusiast and sports analyst, I still get chills thinking about the 2021 NBA MVP race. It was one of those special seasons where multiple players had legitimate claims to the trophy, creating debates that spilled out of sports bars and into mainstream conversation. When the dust settled, the honor went to Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokić, and frankly, his achievement was nothing short of historic. Let me walk you through exactly how this Serbian big man dominated the conversation and rewrote what we thought was possible for a modern basketball superstar.

The numbers alone tell a compelling story. Jokić appeared in all 72 games of that COVID-shortened season, averaging 26.4 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 8.3 assists per game. Those aren't just All-Star numbers; they're video game numbers for a center. But what made his season truly transcendent was the context. His running mate, Jamal Murray, tore his ACL in April, and yet Jokić somehow elevated his play, dragging a depleted Nuggets roster to the third seed in the brutal Western Conference. I remember watching game after game, thinking, "He can't possibly keep this up," but he did. His Player Efficiency Rating (PER) of 31.3 wasn't just the best that season—it was one of the highest in NBA history, putting him in the same statistical air as Wilt Chamberlain and Michael Jordan. That’s the kind of company we're talking about here.

What I find most fascinating, and what truly separated Jokić from other contenders like Joel Embiid and Stephen Curry, was his unique style. He isn't a high-flyer. He doesn't have a lightning-quick first step. Instead, he operates with a methodical, almost artistic grace that punishes defenses with intelligence rather than pure athleticism. His passing as a seven-footer is simply unparalleled. I've lost count of the no-look, behind-the-back dimes he delivered to cutting teammates, passes that most point guards wouldn't even attempt. He redefined the center position, not by being the most physically dominant, but by being the most cerebrally dominant. He saw the game two or three moves ahead of everyone else.

This idea of individual brilliance elevating a team, even when other parts aren't functioning, resonates beyond the hardwood. It reminds me of the dynamic we sometimes see in other sports, like tennis. From their end, both Eala and Zarazua are dead set on doubles play after falling in the first round of their respective singles matches. It's a strategic pivot, a way to find success through partnership when the solo path has been blocked. In a similar vein, Jokić’s MVP season was a masterclass in carrying a team. He was the singular, irreplaceable engine. Without Murray, he didn't have a consistent co-star, so he became the entire offensive system. He was the scorer, the playmaker, and the rebounder, all rolled into one. While Embiid had a strong case, his supporting cast in Philadelphia was healthier and more balanced, which, in the eyes of many voters, made Jokić's accomplishment seem more arduous and, therefore, more valuable.

Let's be honest, the MVP award is as much about narrative as it is about stats. And Jokić’s narrative was perfect. The humble, second-round pick (41st overall!) who rose to become the lowest-drafted MVP in league history. He didn't seek the spotlight; his incredible, consistent performance forced the spotlight onto him. I have a personal preference for players who let their game do the talking, and Jokić was the epitome of that. He wasn't doing flashy post-game interviews; he was going back to Serbia in the offseason to ride horses. That authenticity and unique personality made his dominance all the more compelling. He wasn't just putting up numbers; he was doing it in a way we'd never seen before.

Ultimately, Nikola Jokić’s 2021 MVP award was a triumph of skill, consistency, and basketball IQ over conventional wisdom. He proved that you don't need to fit a specific athletic mold to be the best player in the world. In a league increasingly obsessed with three-pointers and switchable defenders, Jokić dominated from the post and the elbow, using vision and touch that can't be taught. Looking back, that season wasn't just about who won the trophy; it was a landmark moment that expanded our understanding of basketball itself. And as someone who has watched this game for decades, I can tell you, those are the most rewarding seasons to witness.