Small sample of Nick Wright's jabs at Nikola Jokic during last 3 seasons.
"If Nikola Jokić wins the MVP (his first MVP season), he would be the worst MVP since Dave Cowens. The worst MVP in the last 50 years."
"Look at everyone who has won the MVP in the last 40 years. Then list the people who you think Jokić is going to finish his career ahead of in the all-time pyramid. It's just Derrick Rose!"
"Nikola Jokić, on the other hand, they've been blown out both games. He has now been ejected in two of his last three postseason games. And Mr. Efficiency, Mr. Advanced numbers, has been worse in every category across the board, while Draymond Green is eating his lunch money. Draymond Green, who is 5 inches shorter than Jokić, is so much more impactful on winning; it's a joke. You know what's also a joke? MVP awards now. I want to know why Trae Young didn't get consideration. First in points, first in assists, put Trae on a ballot. So ridiculous. I was right, all the media nerds were wrong, and they have to eat it until this series mercifully ends."
"I have the benefit of knowing with utter certainty, with every fiber of my being, that history is going to judge this opinion favorably. They said I was an idiot for saying there are 8 guys better than him.
At least put up a good showing, don't have fewer points, fewer rebounds, fewer assists, your FG% goes down by 10% in the postseason."
"It is impossible for me to believe that people are watching these playoffs, and watching what Giannis is doing, what Embiid is doing (lol), and saying, 'Yeah, Nikola Jokić is the best player in basketball.' I would have less of an issue with Jokić winning MVP if the voters who voted for him overwhelmingly had some shame, some humility. It is a little embarrassing for the league that for the second straight season, they will have to deliver MVP via Skype."
"I said history is going to judge me fairly and right on this, and history is going to come very quickly. I have been called so many names because I spoke some very clear truths about Nikola Jokić. He is a very good player. He also won one of the worst MVPs we've ever seen. In the All-Star draft, he was picked 7th, and then in the All-Star game, people want to win, and they care about the ending, and Jokić doesn't start the 4th quarter. The other team was playing Joel Embiid, and your coach Monty Williams goes centerless rather than play Jokić."
"As Jokić has missed time and is now getting outplayed by Sengun, I think it's quite clear he has slipped to 3rd in the MVP race. With less than a week left, it's 1- Embiid, 2- Giannis (decent gap), 3- Jokić."
"I don't have an MVP vote. Why? Maybe because I have the courage to not fall victim to group thinking. Last year, I had him 2nd; this year, I have him 4th or 5th (this is during last season)."
"Once upon a time, this really mattered. Guys who had won it back to back were Wilt, Russell, Kareem, Moses, Bird, Giannis, Jordan, LeBron, and now it's Nikola Jokić. It used to be reserved for the players who are the best of the best plus Steve Nash. Now it's reserved for the players who are the best of the best plus Steve Nash plus Nikola Jokić. Good job, voters. I hope the VORP gods award you at the pearly gates because the real-life NBA watchers will not."
"If we were ever to get evidence that the once prestigious NBA MVP award is now basically a SAG award for basketball, I present to you Game 1 and Game 2 of these NBA Playoffs between the Nuggets and the Warriors. A lot of MVPs have disappointed in the playoffs, but the difference between those MVPs and this one is they were surprising. The only player we didn't expect to reach deep in the playoffs was Russ in 2017. But at least Russ had the dignity to perform in the postseason. Jokić, Mr. Efficiency, Mr. Advanced numbers, has been worse in every category."
After all of these comments, Nick Wright had the decency to say this after Jokic reaching the NBA finals.
Everyone is asking, Nick, will you apologize to Nikola Jokić? Well, listen, I'm sorry, everybody. I'm sorry that I wanted to hold Nikola Jokić to the same standard that every great player has been held to. I just wanted him to earn it in the postseason after winning all the regular season awards. He is a great player, and I have acknowledged that he was the top candidate in the last three years, (even though last season he had him 4th behind Luka Dončić). I said that this year, if he hadn't unjustly won the previous two MVPs, I would have voted for him.
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