Image Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

“Jokic never is an underdog”- Kevin Durant on Nikola Jokic and MVP race

Kevin Durant is all praise for Nikola Jokic.

Image Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Phoenix Suns’ icon Kevin Durant has opened up on Denver Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic’s chances of winning the MVP Award this season. Durant’s Phoenix Suns were against Jokic-leading Denver Nuggets on Friday, where the Suns went down 149-141 in overtime.

The game saw Jokic scripting history by becoming the first player to record a 30-20-20 triple-double in the NBA. He finished the night with 31 points, 21 rebounds and 22 assists to guide the side to their second-straight win. His historic performance boosted his odds to +210 in the MVP’s race.

However, Jokic is still behind the OKC Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who leads the charts with the odds of -275. The odds keep on shuffling with each passing day. Recently, Durant also shared his opinion on the same and said that while it is not necessary that Jokic will win his fourth MVP title this season, he should not be considered as an underdog.

The 15-time All-Star spoke after the Suns’ loss and said that Jokic can never be considered as an underdog in any condition. “I’m not gonna let y’all keep doing that. Jokic never is an underdog, any situation. Stop,” said Durant.

Kevin Durant on the Jokic-SGA MVP race: "Jokic never is an underdog, any situation."

"Jokic can never be an underdog again. That shit was out the window his first MVP." pic.twitter.com/81f7jZDXt7
— DNVR Nuggets (@DNVR_Nuggets) March 8, 2025

Notably, Jokic has maintained an excellent average of 28.9 points, 12.9 rebounds and 10.6 assists per game this season. He is trailing Alexander, who has come up with four 50+ point performances since January 22, 2025. The 26-year-old has been maintaining a staggering average of 32.8 points, 5.1 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game this season.

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“All-time great”- Kevin Durant heaps praise on Nikola Jokic following historic performance

Kevin Durant was all praise for Jokic after his historic performance during the 149-141 loss to the Nuggets. The 36-year-old expressed his disbelief in the fact that it was the first time Jokic came up with such a performance. “The whole offense is centered around him making a play. I’m actually kind of surprised he hasn’t done this before,” Durant said.

Not only this, but he also hailed him as an “All-time great”. He added, “He gets the ball every play, so the numbers are gonna pile up…”

Denver Nuggets

Kevin Durant

Nikola Jokic

Garima Ranawat

Garima is a sports writer with around two years of experience in Indian sports and a newfound interest in the NBA. Inspired by the leadership of cricketing legend MS Dhoni, she wishes to bring in newer perspectives to the NBA fanatics with her writing.