Being named Most Valuable Player is one of the ultimate honors around the NBA. Joining a list that features legends of the game such as Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Magic Johnson, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is not an easy thing to do.
It goes without saying that you have to put up great numbers. The thing is that you have to outplay every single other player in the world while also leading your team to a good position. Empty stats wonāt do the trick.
This yearās MVP race features three of the best players in the world, as usual: Stephen Curry, Nikola Jokic, and Joel Embiid. Here, we let you know why each of them should take the award home.
2021 NBA MVP: The Top 3 Candidates
3. Joel Embiid
Joel Embiid. (Getty)
Stats: 28.5 PPG, 10.6 RPG, 2.8 APG, 1.0 SPG, 1.4 BPG, 51% FG
Team Record: 49-23
Joel Embiid was the clear-cut favorite to win the award early in the season. He was as dominant as they come on both ends of the floor, swatting shots in the paint and then pulling up from three.
Embiid is perhaps the best big man in the world right now but his team still managed to win without him. He missed a third of the season due to injury and thatās why he slid in this MVP race. Otherwise, heād also be one of the leading candidates to win Defensive Player of the Year.
2. Stephen Curry
Stephen Curry. (Getty)
Stats: 32.0 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 5.8 APG, 1.2 SPG, 5.3 3PG, 48% FG
Team Record: 39-33
Stephen Curry has been a walking cheat code throughout the whole season. People questioned his impact and legacy, and he delivered by averaging career-highs in points, winning a Scoring Title, and setting the record for the most three-pointers per game.
Curry led the league in total points despite missing 9 games due to a tailbone injury. The Warriors had the worst offense in the past 5 years when he was off the floor and won nearly 60% of the games he played. If he hadnāt got hurt, he would be the obvious choice. In all honesty, I still think he is.
1. Nikola Jokic
Nikola Jokic. (Getty)
Stats: 26.4 PPG, 10.8 RPG, 8.3 APG, 1.3 SPG, 1.3 3PG, 56% FG
Team Record: 47-25
We know the NBA is a narrative-based league. The media was handing out the MVP award to Nikola Jokic even before the season started, so itās not unusual to see that heās leading the race at this point. Itās happened over and over.
But make no mistake. Jokic hasnāt only lived up to the expectations but passed them by a mile. Heās averaging career-highs in points and is one of the best playmakers in the world despite being a center. Heāll be a worthy winner of this award even if he wasnāt the best player in the league or his team didnāt finish with the best record in his conference, like Curry and Embiid.
