BREAKING: Nikola Jokic Makes History After MVP Announcement.
The NBA's Most Valuable Player award for 2025 was revealed on Wednesday. Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander took home the honor, beating out Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic in the process.
Jokic was up for his second consecutive MVP award and fourth in five years. The Nuggets star may have come up short this time, but that doesn't diminish the fact that his name has consistently been in the MVP race for the last five seasons.
In fact, even though Jokic didn't win the award this time, the Nuggets center achieved a feat that's only been done by one other player in NBA history.
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15).
© Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
StatMuse revealed that following the MVP voting results in 2025, Jokic did something only Boston Celtics legend Larry Bird has done in the history of the NBA. They revealed that Jokic joined Bird as the only two players to finish in top two for NBA MVP voting in a half-decade.
"Nikola Jokic is the first player since Larry Bird to be top two in MVP voting for five consecutive years," StatMuse wrote on X.
Nikola Jokic is the first player since Larry Bird to be top two in MVP voting for five consecutive years. pic.twitter.com/J0Tr70Mm5Q
— StatMuse (@statmuse) May 21, 2025
NBA fans have been reacting to this news on X.
"Bird won 3 straight, Jokic shoulda won 5 straight," said one.
"Crazy part is, if not for voter fatigue Jokic would have 5 straight," said another. "Highest individual peak of all time."
"And the 2 he lost were his objective best years. Should be at 5 right now," one added.
"Optics is the only reason he doesn’t have five straight," claimed another.
The difference between the two is that Bird won the league MVP three consecutive times from 1984 to 1986 after coming in second in 1981 and 1982. Jokic won the award in 2021 and 2022, then again in 2024 after Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid won the award in 2023.