Gilbert Arenas bashes Jokic and MVP voters: 'Worst MVP in 40 years' / News - Basketnews.com

Arenas claims Jokic's two MVP trophies are not warranted due to the lack of team success in the regular season. He says Jokic didn't do anything extraordinary to win the two MVPs he did.

Credit: Tim Heitman/Getty Images/AFP, Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports - Scanpix Credit Tim Heitman/Getty Images/AFP, Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports - Scanpix

Nikola Jokic is widely considered to be the frontrunner to win his third NBA MVP this season. Gilbert Arenas thinks he shouldn't have won the first two to begin with.

Nikola Jokic

MIN:34.58PTS:26.36 (63.66%)REB:12.33As:8.99ST:1.27BL:0.9TO:2.93GM:73ProfileNBA2023/2024

The former NBA All-Star appeared on a podcast with Hall of Fame NFL tight end Shannon Sharpe, Nightcap, where he stated his controversial opinion.

"Jokic is probably, statistically, when it comes to overall game, the worst MVP winner. He's the worst MVP winner in the last 40 years," Arenas declared. "When you're talking about MVP, their teams were first and second place. The people who won the MVP, their teams were first and second. When [Michael] Jordan won it, his team record, they were seventh in the NBA. That year, he averaged 35 [points], 6 [assists], 5 [rebounds], 3 steals, All-Star MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, scoring title, steals leader - that was the MVP. Historic year, makes sense. That makes sense."

"When [Russell] Westbrook won it, his team had the 10th-best record. Triple-double. He did something amazing. His team was 10th, but he did something that wasn't done since Oscar Robertson. In 2021, Jokic's team was 5th. He averaged 26 [points], 8 [assists], and 10 [rebounds]. What was the historic part of that? There was no history. 'Oh, a big man almost had a triple-double, let's give it to him.' That's what the narrative was. A big man almost, not did, almost won the triple-double, and they gave it to him when his team record was like that," Arenas said.

Both Arenas and Sharpe previously argued that the MVP voting was flawed, especially early on in NBA history when players voted for the best player in the league. Both Sharpe and Arenas agreed Wilt Chamberlain, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and LeBron James should've won more MVP trophies in their careers.

Nikola Jokic

Team:Denver NuggetsPosition:C, PFAge:29Height:208 cmWeight:111 kgBirth place:Sombor, SerbiaProfileNewsStatistics

Arenas argued Jokic shouldn't have won the two MVPs because of his team's record during those years. According to him, a player has to do something extraordinary to capture the MVP trophy when his team is not at the very top, something that the league history tells, he says.

"His second MVP, his team was tied in 10th place. 10th-best record in the NBA, 27 [points], 8 [assists], and 13 [rebounds]. What was historic about it? The two people before him had an amazing season. When you're talking about historic, Magic - teams 1st place, 2nd place, 1st place, Jordan - 7th, 2nd, one, and one. Bird - one and one, and one, his team was first place every time he won it. LeBron - 1st, 1st, 4th, 1st, Jokic - 5th and 10th. They did that, they did that! It ain't his fault, he didn't vote for himself, you did it. So either you're gonna correct it or keep fu**ing it up," Arenas was honest, talking to MVP voters directly.

Instead, Arenas claims Jokic should've won just one MVP last season instead of Joel Embiid. Meanwhile, Jayson Tatum should've captured the MVP the season prior.

"Look, his first two ones, he probably shouldn't have had those. If you go by history, last year - that should've been his, it shouldn't have been Embiid's. Jayson Tatum's been one, he's been the best player, he's averaged 30, he's had the number that the rest of history [had] - that was his MVP. Now, Jokic is sitting in 1st with great stats. You know what I mean? And now you're sitting like, 'We gone cheating for the last couple of years, so we gotta give it to him this year.' When you look at the history of this game, right, how Jokic won his MVP has never been [done]. It's like we're dumbing down, we're dumbing down the game for a narrative," Arenas said.

"When Giannis [Antetokounmpo] was winning, Giannis was winning. He was dominating everything. His team was one, he dominated from the beginning of the season until the end of the season, both years he won. You don't need to handicap greatness," Arenas concluded.

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