Nikola Jokic is putting together one of the most dominant seasons in NBA history. The Serbian superstar is leading the league in both rebounds (13.0 per game) and assists (10.8 per game)—a rare feat no player has accomplished—while securing his second consecutive season averaging a triple-double. Yet the final ESPN MVP straw poll of the 2025-26 season dropped a shocking revelation: someone left the Joker completely off their ballot.
To exclude a player delivering this level of greatness from any MVP consideration is nothing short of egregious. It points to an unusual level of contempt for Jokic, whose brilliance has become so normalized that voters seem bored by it.
Jokic’s numbers this season are staggering: 27.7 points per game (the second-highest of his career), 13.0 rebounds, and 10.8 assists on elite efficiency (57.2% from the field). He’s recorded dozens of triple-doubles and continues to make the extraordinary look routine. In a fair world, this would be another MVP-caliber campaign for a generational talent who has already redefined what a center can do as a playmaker and all-around force.
Critics point to the Nuggets’ record and Jokic’s turnovers as reasons to dock him, but those arguments fall flat when scrutinized. His turnover rate sits at 3.9 per game—this season’s high for him, but nearly identical to the 3.8 he posted during his 2021-22 MVP-winning campaign. Meanwhile, his scoring output surpasses Steph Curry’s 23.8 points in the 2014-15 MVP season, his rebounding tops Joel Embiid’s mark from the 2022-23 MVP year, and his assists exceed the 10.4 Russell Westbrook averaged in his 2016-17 MVP season.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been outstanding for the Thunder, and Victor Wembanyama has delivered a phenomenal breakout for the Spurs, making this one of the most competitive MVP races in years. No one disputes that they deserve serious consideration. But leaving Jokic entirely off a ballot—when he’s leading the NBA in two of the three major statistical categories and producing at a historic level—crosses into bias territory.
This isn’t just about one rogue voter. It reflects broader voter fatigue. Jokic has made greatness look so effortless that the goalposts keep shifting. Detractors fixate on team wins or minor flaws while ignoring the context of his usage, efficiency, and sheer impact. The same thing could happen to SGA or Wemby in a few years if they sustain this level of excellence.
We’ll concede that Jokic likely won’t win the MVP this season—the narrative and team record may prevent it. But to omit him from the ballot altogether, especially in a year where he’s arguably having the best statistical season of his already legendary career, is indefensible.
The Joker has normalized the extraordinary. Boredom shouldn’t be a voting criterion. Nikola Jokic’s 2025-26 campaign deserves its place among the all-time great individual seasons, ballot or no ballot.