Mark Jackson didn't know what he was voting for when he left Nikola Jokic off MVP ballot

The 1987-88 Rookie of the Year was the only media member not to include Jokic in his top-five vote-getters, instead choosing Joel Embiid, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jayson Tatum, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Donovan Mitchell. Embiid ended up winning his first career MVP, with Jokic (the winner of the last two awards) finishing in a distant second, Antetokounmpo coming in third, Tatum finishing fourth and Gilgeous-Alexander placing fifth.

Jackson detailed his stunning choice recently on "NBA Today" on SiriusXM, explaining that he thought he was submitting a vote for All-NBA teams. The former Golden State Warriors head coach said, according to a TMZ Sports report, that if he had known he was voting for MVP, he would've put Jokic third, behind Embiid and Antetokounmpo.

The oversight -- as jarring as it was -- now makes a little more sense after Jackson's explanation. With Embiid handily winning the MVP over Jokic this season, that would leave him as the representative for center on most First Team All-NBA ballots, with Antetokounmpo and Tatum taking the forward spots and SGA earning one of the guard spots. While Jackson evidently had Mitchell as a First Team All-NBA guard, the Cleveland Cavaliers star ended up being voted onto the second team, with Dallas Mavericks stud Luka Doncic sharing the backcourt with Gilgeous-Alexander.