I still remember watching that 2021 MVP announcement with mixed feelings, having followed Nikola Jokić's incredible journey throughout the season. When the final tally revealed he'd received 91 first-place votes out of 100 possible, while Joel Embiid got just one first-place vote despite his dominant performance, it felt like we were witnessing something historic yet controversial. The voting results didn't just crown an MVP—they shaped how we'd remember that entire pandemic-affected season, creating narratives that would influence team strategies and player legacies for years to come.
What struck me most was how Jokić's victory represented a shift in how we value different types of excellence in basketball. The Denver Nuggets star put up staggering numbers—26.4 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 8.3 assists per game—but more importantly, he demonstrated a unique style of play that challenged conventional wisdom about big men in the NBA. Watching him orchestrate the offense from the center position felt revolutionary, and the voters clearly recognized this innovation. Meanwhile, Stephen Curry's spectacular scoring run that earned him 5 first-place votes highlighted how individual brilliance could shine even when team success remained elusive, with the Warriors finishing 8th in the Western Conference.
The voting distribution told its own story about what the basketball community valued that season. Giannis Antetokounmpo's 3 first-place votes despite the Bucks' relatively modest 46-26 record showed that previous MVP credibility still carried weight, while Chris Paul's presence in the conversation with 2 first-place votes acknowledged his transformative impact on the Phoenix Suns. This nuanced voting pattern reflected how the award had evolved beyond mere statistics to encompass narrative, impact, and the elusive "value" that defines the award's name. I've always believed MVP voting reveals as much about the voters' priorities as it does about the players' performances, and the 2021 results were particularly revealing in this regard.
Looking back, the 2021 MVP race established Jokić as the league's new archetype of the versatile big man, influencing how teams would build their rosters in subsequent seasons. His victory also set the stage for his repeat MVP win the following year, creating a legacy that extended far beyond that single season. The narrow margins in the voting—with just 231 points separating first and second place—demonstrated how competitive the race truly was, adding to the season's dramatic tension. In many ways, that MVP decision validated a new approach to basketball excellence, one that prioritized skill diversity and basketball IQ over traditional physical dominance. The season's legacy became inextricably linked with Jokić's rise, transforming how we think about center position value and team construction in the modern NBA.