Whether it be Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Allen Iverson or the ‘Big Fundamental’ Tim Duncan, all of basketball’s greatest players and most recognisable names have at one point in their career been awarded the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) Most Valuable Player (MVP) honour.
It is the most prestigious individual award one can win – and this season’s race for the Michael Jordan Trophy is shaping up to be one of the closest in quite some years. With that in mind, read on as we dissect the three frontrunners in the online betting markets to become the 2022/23 regular season MVP.
Luka Doncic
Formerly a EuroLeague MVP, Luka Doncic is hoping to become the first player in history to secure the highest individual honour in basketball’s two most competitive leagues in the world. After an incredible playoff run last season – in which he led the Dallas Mavericks to a Western Conference Finals berth – there were plenty of expectations on the 23-year-old’s shoulders entering the 2022/23 campaign.
He has delivered and then some, with the Slovenian averaging 34.2 points, 8.9 rebounds and 8.7 assists to help his team sit fifth in the Western Conference standings at the time of writing. It was his five-game stretch over the Christmas and New Year period which really bolstered his MVP case however, as Doncic averaged a staggering 45.6 points, 11.2 rebounds and 10.2 assists in five straight wins.
Included in that five-game run was arguably the greatest individual performance in NBA history, with Doncic recording 60 points, 21 rebounds and 10 assists – the first player in history to register a 60-20-10 game. It rivals Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point performance, the late great Kobe Bryant’s 81-point game against the Toronto Raptors, and Klay Thompson’s 60-point outing in which he had 37 in a quarter.
What’s more impressive is that Doncic is doing it without his second-best player from last season Jalen Brunson, who signed a 4-year deal worth $104 million with the New York Knicks in the offseason. As a result of Doncic’s exceptional form, he currently sits as the favourite at 4/1 to come away with the regular season MVP award.
Giannis Antetokounmpo
Whenever discussing players who have a strong case for winning the MVP award, invariably Giannis Antetokounmpo’s name will come up. Otherwise known as the ‘Greek Freak’, The Milwaukee Buck and two-time MVP has been incredible once again this season, averaging 31 points, 11.9 boards, 5.3 assists and nearly a blocked shot a game. Although his skill level and understanding of the game has improved drastically over the past few years – it’s his effort and competitive fervor that remains his greatest asset.
At the time of writing, his performances on the hardwood have helped the Bucks register a formidable winning record that is 13 games above .500 – which is good for third in the Eastern Conference. The Greek Freak is the second favourite to become a three-time MVP, garnering odds of 6/1.
Nikola Jokic
Given that the MVP award is subjective, the panel of voters have at times been accused of not choosing the rightful winner due to voter fatigue – and given that Denver Nugget’s big man Nikola Jokic is the reigning two-time MVP – fans are concerned that he may not be awarded the honour at the conclusion of the season even if he were to deserve it.
In spite of that, Jokic may make it impossible to deny him a third consecutive MVP award, with the Serbian putting on yet another unbelievable season in which he is registering 24.9 points, 11 rebounds, 9.7 assists and 1.4 steals a game. To stand nearly seven-feet-tall and average just shy of 10 assists is almost unfathomable – and points to why he is considered by most to be best passing big man in NBA history.
At the time of writing, Jokic is the third favourite to win MVP at 9/1 – and if he can manage to do so – he will join an elite group of players in Bill Russell, Chamberlain and Larry Bird to win it three years running.