Brooklyn Nets guard D’Angelo Russell has voiced strong support for Nikola Jokic’s MVP candidacy, arguing the Nuggets star should already be on his way to a fifth trophy.
Speaking on The Backyard Podcast, Russell addressed the current MVP race and said, via HoopsHype, “Jokic is going to win MVP. He should be going on like his fifth MVP right now.”
Russell was referring to the 2022-23 season, when Jokic finished second in voting to Joel Embiid despite averaging 24.5 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 9.8 assists on 63.2% shooting.
Jokic won back-to-back MVPs in 2021 and 2022 and reclaimed the award in 2024, but Russell believes the Serbian center’s play has been elite enough to warrant every MVP honor since 2020.
The NBA recently revealed Jokic as one of three finalists for the 2024-25 MVP, alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
This season, Jokic averaged 29.6 points, 12.7 rebounds, and 10.2 assists, leading the league in triple-doubles while guiding Denver to a 50-32 record.
The 29-year-old anchored one of the league’s most efficient offenses, helping the Nuggets secure the fourth seed in a tightly contested Western Conference.
Russell acknowledged Gilgeous-Alexander’s standout season but insisted Jokic deserves greater recognition, stating, “We can’t just keep looking over dude.”
Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 32.7 points per game and led the Thunder to an NBA-best 68-14 regular season record, becoming the first Oklahoma City player since Kevin Durant to top the league in scoring.
Antetokounmpo, a two-time MVP, averaged 30.4 points and nearly 12 rebounds for the fifth-seeded Bucks while contributing on both ends of the floor.
MVP voting is based exclusively on regular season performance and was completed before the start of the 2025 NBA Playoffs.
If Jokic claims this season’s MVP, he would become just the fourth player in NBA history to win four or more MVPs, joining Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan, and LeBron James.
