Former Player Says NBA Star Is Getting ‘Disrespected’ In MVP Conversation

February 15, 2024
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(Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/Getty Images)

Right now, the leader in the race for the NBA’s regular-season MVP race seems to be the Denver Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic, who won the award in the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons.

Earlier this season, the favorite was Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid, who won the award last season, but he has been sidelined due to a meniscus injury, and he’s no longer eligible for the award, as he will not end up playing the minimum of 65 games required to be eligible.

The Boston Celtics have the league’s best record, yet Jayson Tatum isn’t a favorite to win the MVP, and former NBA player Nick Young says Tatum is being “disrespected,” per NBACentral.

Nick Young says Jayson Tatum is the MVP

“I’ve never seen someone get so disrespected in my life. How do y’all keep putting the Joker and all these other people over him?” pic.twitter.com/jG3G1KQDZC

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) February 14, 2024

Tatum is putting up 27.3 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game this season, and he’s shooting a career-high 47.6 percent from the field.

His ability to hit tough contested shots from distance, especially with the shot clock running down, is reminiscent of late Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, whom Tatum considers a mentor.

However, there seems to be a little something missing from his game in terms of utter dominance and inspiring fear in opponents, two things Bryant had plenty of.

These days, Jokic and Embiid (when healthy) are utterly dominant, and opponents are often flustered when it comes to how to contain them.

Jokic is putting up 26.3 points, 12.2 rebounds, and 9.0 assists a game for the defending world champion Nuggets, and most consider him the best player in all of basketball.

If he were to win the MVP again, it would put him in some select company as one of a handful of players to claim the award at least three times.

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