Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic to join hallowed ground as 13th player to win consecutive NBA MVP awards
Nuggets center Nikola Jokic will join hallowed ground when he’s named the NBA’s most valuable player for the second consecutive season, becoming just the 13th player to do so in league history.
What makes Jokic’s achievement even more special: He’s just the fifth center in NBA history to win back-to-back MVP awards and the first since Moses Malone 39 years ago. Here’s a look at each of the players to win the award two or more seasons in a row:
| Player, team | Seasons | PPG | TS%* | RPG | APG | PER^ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N. Jokic, Nuggets | ’20-21, ’21-22 | 26.7 | 65.4 | 12.3 | 8.1 | 32.1 |
| G. Antetokounmpo, Bucks | ’18-19, ’19-20 | 28.5 | 62.9 | 13.0 | 5.8 | 31.3 |
| S. Curry, Warriors | ’14-15, ’15-16 | 26.9 | 65.5 | 4.8 | 7.2 | 29.7 |
| L. James, Heat | ’11-12, ’12-13 | 26.9 | 62.4 | 8.0 | 6.8 | 31.2 |
| L. James, Cavs | ’08-09, ’09-10 | 29.1 | 59.8 | 7.4 | 7.9 | 31.4 |
| S. Nash, Suns | ’04-05, ’05-06 | 17.2 | 62.0 | 3.8 | 11.0 | 22.6 |
| T. Duncan, Spurs | ’01-02, ’02-03 | 24.4 | 57.0 | 12.8 | 3.8 | 27.0 |
| M. Jordan, Bulls | ’90-91, ’91-92 | 30.8 | 59.2 | 6.2 | 5.8 | 29.7 |
| M. Johnson, Lakers | ’88-89, ’89-90 | 22.4 | 62.3 | 7.2 | 12.1 | 26.8 |
| L. Bird, Celtics | ’83-84, ’84-85, ’85-86 | 26.2 | 57.3 | 10.1 | 6.7 | 25.5 |
| M. Malone, Rockets/76ers | ’81-82, ’82-83 | 27.8 | 57.7 | 15.0 | 1.5 | 26.0 |
| K. Abdul-Jabbar, Lakers | ’75-76, ’76-77 | 27.0 | 58.6 | 15.1 | 4.5 | 27.5 |
| K. Abdul-Jabbar, Bucks | ’70-71, ’71-72 | 33.2 | 60.4 | 16.3 | 3.9 | 29.5 |
| W. Chamberlain, 76ers | ’65-66, ’66-67, ’67-68 | 27.3 | 57.4 | 24.2 | 7.2 | 26.5 |
| B. Russell, Celtics | ’60-61, ’61-62, ’62-63 | 17.5 | 46.9 | 23.7 | 4.1 | 18.6 |