(Basketball news) The Serbian center becomes the 13th player selected as Kia MVP in consecutive seasons. Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokić was named the 2021-22 Kia NBA Most Valuable Player. This is his second Kia NBA MVP Award for Jokić, who also won it last season. He becomes the 13th player to win the award in consecutive seasons, and joining some legendary players like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Larry Bird, Wilt Chamberlain, Stephen Curry, Tim Duncan, LeBron James, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Moses Malone, Steve Nash and Bill Russell.

Jokić received a total of 875 points (65 first-place votes) from a global panel of 100 sportswriters and broadcasters. 76ers center Joel Embiid finished in second place with 706 points (26 first-place votes) and Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo came third with 595 points (nine first-place votes), followed by Suns guard Devin Booker in fourth place with 216 points Mavericks guard Luka Dončić in fifth place with 146 points. Players received 10 points for each first-place vote, seven points for a second-place vote, five points for third-place, three points for each fourth-place vote and one point for each fifth-place vote.

This was the first time in NBA history that the top four out of the top five finishers in MVP race were international players, with Jokić from Serbia, Embiid from Cameroon and Antetokounmpo  from Greece as they comprised the top three and Dončić from Slovenia joined them in the top five. Jokić is only the second European player to win the award twice, joining Giannis Antetokounmpo, who won the MVP in the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons.

In his seventh NBA season, Jokić this season averaged 27.1 points, 13.8 rebounds, 7.9 assists, 1.47 steals and 0.85 blocks per game, setting career highs in each category except assists .  Jokić had played 74 games and averaged 33.5 minutes, he ranked sixth in the NBA in points, second in rebounds, eighth in assists, 12th for steals and 33rd in blocks per game. He led the league in total rebounds (1,019) and total defensive rebounds (813) in this remarkable season.  He set a career-high in field goal percentage with 58.3. Jokić also became the first player in NBA history to record at least 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds and 500 assists in a season and the first player to average at least 25.0 points, 13.0 rebounds and 6.0 assists in a season.  He led the NBA this year in triple-doubles with 19 and double-doubles with 66, both were single-season records for a Nuggets player.

Phoenix Suns head coach Monty Williams won the Red Auerbach Trophy as the 2021-22 NBA Coach of the Year. Monty Williams wins his first NBA coach of the year as he joins Cotton Fitzsimmons (1988-89) and Mike D’Antoni (2004-05) as the head coaches of Suns to earn this award. Williams received 458 points (81 first-place votes) from a global panel as Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins finished in second place with 270 points (17 first-place votes) and Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra finished in third place with 72 points. Williams guided the Suns to the best NBA record this season with a 64-18 record, his team had the most victories and the highest winning percentage (.780) in a season in franchise history. The Suns had an identical at home as well on the road (32-9).  The Suns tied for the third-most wins on the road and fifth-best road winning percentage (.780) in a season in NBA history.

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