Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic. Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Nikola Jokic joins Larry Bird in exclusive club

By Sai Mohan | Last updated May 22, 2025 8:42 AM ET

If the 2010s belonged to LeBron James and Stephen Curry, it's fair to suggest that the 2020s have belonged to Nikola Jokic.

Since the turn of the decade, the Nuggets center has ranked No. 1 in the playoffs in total rebounds, assists, double-doubles and triple-doubles and second in points, behind only Celtics star Jayson Tatum.

Jokic has been similarly dominant in the regular season in the 2020s, ranking first in FG% (57.7) and games played (437), fourth in points, third in rebounds, assists and steals.

The Serb's consistent run has meant he's finished top-two in MVP voting for five consecutive seasons (2020-21 to 2024-25). He's the first player since Celtics legend Larry Bird to achieve the feat.

Nikola Jokic is the first player since Larry Bird to be top two in MVP voting for five consecutive years. pic.twitter.com/J0Tr70Mm5Q
— StatMuse (@statmuse) May 21, 2025

Even perennial MVP candidates James, Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson did not pull off Jokic's feat during the peak of their powers.

James finished second to Giannis Antetokounmpo in 2019-20, his highest-placed finish since 2017-18 and 2013-14. He was in the top two for three consecutive times between 2011-12 and 2013-14, but he finished third in 2010-11 behind Derrick Rose and Dwight Howard.

Jokic has been in the top two since he won his first MVP award in 2020-21, beating Joel Embiid for the honor. Thereafter, he finished first again in 2021-22, second in 2022-23 (behind Embiid), first in 2023-24 and second in 2024-25 (behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander).

Remarkably, the best of his last five seasons — he rewrote the history books in 2024-25 — saw him finish as a runner-up. FS1's Ric Bucher is among the many who feel Jokic was robbed of his fourth MVP award.

Jokic averaged 29.6 points, 12.7 rebounds, 10.2 assists and 1.8 steals, becoming the first player in the history of the NBA to finish top-three in three statistical categories. No player had previously finished in the top 10 in four statistical metrics.

.@RicBucher reacts to SGA winning MVP and explains why Jokic should've won

"When we look back at this season, I believe that people are gonna look at it and go wait a minute, how did Nikola Jokic not win?" pic.twitter.com/uHiSx3RmIA
— Speak (@SpeakOnFS1) May 21, 2025

Nikola Jokic is the first player in NBA history to finish a season top 3 in PPG, RPG, & APG. pic.twitter.com/rqrPHveZSH
— Real Sports (@realapp_) May 21, 2025

Sai Mohan

A veteran sportswriter based in Portugal, Sai covers the NBA for Yardbarker and a few local news outlets. He had the honor of covering sporting events across four different continents as a newspaper reporter. Some of his all-time favorite athletes include Mike Tyson, Larry Bird, Luís Figo, Ayrton Senna and Steffi Graf.

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