By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Nikola Jokic is no longer the pick of Michael Malone for the Kia NBA Most Valuable Player award.
“Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, he showed why he’s MVP,” he mentioned during an appearance on ESPN’s postgame coverage of Game 1 between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Minnesota Timberwolves.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jokic, alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo, were named finalists for the season MVP nod in April. Before being fired by the Denver Nuggets, 53-year-old Malone was advocating for the Serbian superstar, at that time the leading player of his team. Following his removal from the position of the franchise’s head coach and shifting to a broadcasting role, he now believes the 26-year-old Canadian combo guard deserves the award.
Between 2015 and 2025, the native of Astoria served as the play-caller of the Nuggets. The most important achievement was winning an NBA championship in 2023, with Jokic earning the Finals MVP award. Over the last six years, he led the Nuggets to the Playoffs and was on track for a seventh straight postseason campaign until being dismissed with three games left in the 2024-25 Regular Season.
His former team reached the Western Conference Semifinals of the 2025 NBA Playoffs presented by Google and were eliminated by the Thunder in seven games.
On Tuesday, Gilgeous-Alexander scored 20 out of his 31 points in the second half, pushing the Thunder to a 1-0 lead over the Wolves in the West Finals.
Staying in Oklahoma City’s Paycom Center, Game 2 of a best-of-seven series is set to be played on Thursday.