Insane photo of Nikola Jokic prompts speculation of how defenders treat him

Jokic could be headed toward his third consecutive NBA MVP Award but faces tough competition from other candidates — notably fellow big man Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers. By the looks of the insane photo of his scratched-up arms, it appears that Jokic has also been facing a serious beating from defenders all season as well.

The Serbian is coming of his league-leading 23rd triple-double of the 2022-2023 campaign and his fifth performance of 40 or more points. He led the Denver Nuggets to a 134-124 overtime win against the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday night.

It was Jokic's third triple-double with at least 40 points this season, after he recorded 40 points, a career-high 27 rebounds and 10 assists in a win over the Charlotte Hornets on Dec. 18 and then 41 points, 15 rebounds and 15 assists in a win over the Phoenix Suns on Christmas Day. The first-place Nuggets (43-19) have now won a stunning 27 games in a row when the "Joker" records a triple-double, an NBA record dating back to last season.

Being one of the more fast-paced and physical sports, it's not uncommon to see a basketball player end games with some cuts or scratches, and being the big body he is, Jokic undoubtedly takes his fair share of brutal whacks on the court. This recent photo though makes his daily dominance of the league that much more impressive and may up his case for a third straight MVP this spring.