Since the disappointing way the Nuggets' 2025 regular season came to an end, it’s no surprise that the main focus around the team has been their incredible offseason, turning over the front office and rebuilding the roster with veteran depth. But we shouldn’t ignore the historical significance of what’s at stake for Nikola Jokic on an individual level.
Basketball Reference measures a stat called MVP Award Shares, and in a recent ESPN article, it was pointed out that Jokic now ranks seventh all-time in this category. It measures the percentage of MVP votes a player gets in a season, then adds them up over the duration of that player’s career.
Jokic currently sits at 4.460 MVP shares, which has him leading all other active players except for LeBron James. In fact, the only players ahead of him are Michael Jordan (8.831 MVP shares), James (8.115), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (6.105), Larry Bird (5.612), Magic Johnson (5.104), and Bill Russell (4.852).
To say that’s rarified air would be drastically understating things, but that’s what happens when you win the award three times and finish as runner-up on two other occasions. With his second-place finish this season, Jokic passed Wilt Chamberlain, Shaquille O'Neal, Karl Malone, Tim Duncan, Kobe Bryant, and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Jokic could finish as high as 3rd in NBA history
The craziest part of it all is that Jokic just turned 30 and is still squarely in the heart of his prime. He is the current favorite to win the MVP Award this coming season, and has shown no signs whatsoever of slowing down.
If Jokic finishes in the top five for a few more years, there’s a very good chance he could pass Russell and Magic as soon as this season, and Bird and Kareem not long after. If Jokic plays this well into his mid-30s, he will be squarely in third place all-time in this remarkable, historic statistical category.
Catching up to the likes of Jordan and James would be an extremely tall task, but the idea that Jokic is well within range of that conversation speaks volumes about what he has already accomplished in the league, and what’s still in his sights.
So, while the top priority for the Nuggets and fans is raising another banner, a big part of that is Jokic continuing to play at an elite level. Just how elite that level is and for how long will likely determine the team’s fate, and it will also help determine the Joker’s place in the annals of NBA history.