Dwight Howard Labels Nikola Jokic as ‘The Greatest MVP Snub’ of All-Time after Losing to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Superstar's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic were battling throughout the entire season for the MVP honors.

Dwight Howard Labels Nikola Jokic as ‘The Greatest MVP Snub’ of All-Time after Losing to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Dwight Howard believes Nikola Jokic was 'greatest ever snub' after Shai Gilgeous-Alexander wins his 1st (Image via FirstSportz)

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been named the 2025 NBA regular season MVP. He beat out Denver Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic in what many consider to be one of the most tightly contested races in NBA history.

Their race was so tight that even the most seasoned analysts and former players had trouble selecting one over the other. Whenever Shai Gilgeous-Alexander continued to excel, fans, analysts, and veterans praised his standout performances.

Then, whenever Nikola Jokic went on a run, leaving basketball fans dumbfounded, everyone praised him. The only time there was any doubt was when either of the two had a bad game and the other had a better outing.

That is where fans, members of the media, and former players struggled to separate the two. There was talk of voter fatigue influencing this season’s awards, but no one could ignore what The Joker was doing on the court. That is what made soon-to-be Hall of Famer Dwight Howard write this on X.

Shai (fire emoticons) but Jokic is still the greatest mvp snub of all time good worker Joker.

Dwight Howard wrote

The NBA champion’s words seemingly sum up how everyone watching this 2024-25 NBA season would feel. Even though Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was announced as the MVP, many feel Nikola Jokic was snubbed despite putting together the best season of his career.

The final voting ranks might suggest that the second round of the playoffs played a part. But usually, these votes are completed by the end of the regular season. It just could be that the league was waiting for the right moment to announce the award.

George Karl takes shots at fellow former Nuggets head coach Michael Malone for cheap shot at Nikola Jokic

Before the 2025 regular season MVP award was announced, former Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone sparked controversy by claiming that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had proven after Game 1 of the WCF that he was the MVP. Another former Denver Nuggets head coach, George Karl, did not agree.

Jokic was the MVP again this season and it wasn’t that close. But I guess I’m the only former Nuggets coach who knows that.

George Karl wrote on X

George Karl’s words were a direct shot at Malone for seemingly taking a veiled cheap shot at Nikola Jokic. It could be just because Malone had to do a job with ESPN. Or, he could have just said that to imply that the Serbian had something to do with his firing.

Jokic has made it clear that he had nothing to do with the firing and that ownership decided to let his former head coach go. But Michael Malone talking about it could be an indication that something was not right in Colorado.

Nikola Jokic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander might be back at it next season

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander winning the MVP this season stops Nikola Jokic’s back-to-back winning run. But next season, the two should be back in the running as top contenders. Other players may join, but considering how these two play and their performances impact their respective team’s results, these two are a lock in to run it again next season.

Nikola Jokic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander should be back battling for the MVP next season
Nikola Jokic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander should be back battling for the MVP next season (Image via Open Source/X)

For a big man, the Denver Nuggets superstar has done the unthinkable and recorded a triple-double season. If that was not enough, expect the 2023 champion to elevate his game by a notch. However, he generally does not care about individual accolades and instead focuses on team wins.

But considering how his team is set up, he will likely have to do it all again next time around. On the other hand, Gilgeous-Alexander’s motivation lies in how his Oklahoma City Thunder fair this season. If they win the NBA title, there is a chance he could ease off. But he could keep the pressure on and continue to strive to be one of the best to ever play the game.

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