By Alex Molina/ info@eurohoops.net
The spotlight falls on Serbia with Vasilije Micic named Turkish Airlines EuroLeague MVP and Nikola Jokic becoming the NBA MVP. The NBA and EuroLeague MVP awards landed in the same country for the first time, therefore extending the rise of European basketball on the world stage.
Jokic, 26, was considered the favorite to win the race against Joel Embiid and Stephen Curry. The official announcement on Tuesday evening confirmed those predictions. Following Giannis Antetokounmpo lifting Greece to that level the past couple of seasons, European stars made it three in a row in terms of getting the MVP nod in the best league of the world.
Micic, 27, was previously named EuroLeague MVP and went on capturing the Final Four MVP award leading Anadolu Efes to the top of Europe’s premier club competition for the first time in team history. The Serbian pair, expected to compete against each other in the next NBA season, lifted their country to the unique achievement.
With Americans dominating the list of most valuable players in NBA history, the USA would be probable to have already unlocked the double-MVP achievement. However, the lone American MVP and only two-time winner in EuroLeague, Anthony Parker shared his MVP years in 2005 and 2006 with Canadian Steve Nash.
Hakeem Olajuwon in 1994 and Dirk Nowitzki in 2007 are the other international players named NBA MVP. The 2007 EuroLeague MVP award went to Greek Theo Papaloukas ruling out the remaining possible pairing from the same country.