ClutchPoints recently shared on X (formerly Twitter) that Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks and Nikola Jokić of the Denver Nuggets have had very similar careers. Both players have impressive accomplishments and have followed similar paths in their professional lives.
Jokić and Antetokounmpo are two pragmatic foreign players who opted to remain with their small-market teams after being selected by them in the draft. They each won MVP back-to-back, making them the lowest draft picks to do so.
Both players missed out on a three-peat for the MVP title but later earned the title of ‘Best Player on the Planet.’ They were also favored to win back-to-back titles. Each player’s second-best teammate got injured during the playoffs, and both blew a 3-2 lead to the top defense led by a 22-year-old superstar in the second round.
Jokić and Antetokounmpo’s MVP Success
Giannis Antetokounmpo, known as the Greek Freak, is celebrated as one of the greatest players and top power forwards in NBA history. He won consecutive Most Valuable Player awards in the 2018–19 and 2019–20 seasons.
This season, Giannis delivered stellar performances, including scoring 54 points and grabbing 12 rebounds against the Indiana Pacers on November 9 and achieving a career-high 64 points and 14 rebounds against the Pacers on December 13.
Giannis also reached several milestones this season. He became the all-time leader in rebounding for the Bucks, surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and joined Michael Jordan as the only players with at least eight games featuring 50 points and 10 rebounds.
Nikola Jokić, known as “Joker,” is recognized as one of the most impactful centers in NBA history. The Serbian player, selected with the 41st overall pick, has won three Kia NBA MVP awards (2020-22, 2023-24).
Jokić has been dominant throughout the current NBA season, and despite winning the NBA MVP award, his efforts were not enough as the Denver Nuggets were eliminated in the conference semifinals.
Fans were grateful for Jokić and teammate Jamal Murray’s efforts despite their team’s postseason defeats. According to recent sources, the Nuggets and Timberwolves’ Game 7 saw record-breaking viewership.
Jokić played in 79 games this season, averaging 26.4 points, 12.4 rebounds, and 9.0 assists, according to Statmuse. By contrast, Antetokounmpo finished 73 games with an average of 30.4 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 6.5 assists. These numbers demonstrate the outstanding contributions that both players have made to their clubs, confirming their standing as two of the most great players in the NBA.
