DENVER, COLORADO – APRIL 25: Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets runs down the court while playing the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first quarter during Round 1 Game 5 of the NBA Playoffs at Ball Arena on April 25, 2023 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
The identity of the only voter who left Nikola Jokic completely off his NBA MVP ballot has been revealed.
On Thursday, the NBA released ballots after the All-NBA teams were announced, and they show ESPN analyst Mark Jackson was the voter who left the two-time MVP out of his top five. The former Warriors coach and current ESPN broadcaster was the sole voter who didn’t place the reigning two-time MVP among his top five candidates for the award this year. In order, Jackson went with:
Joel Embiid
Giannis Antetokounmpo
Jayson Tatum
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Donovan Mitchell
Jokic, a two-time MVP, finished the 2022-23 regular season averaging 24.5 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 9.8 assists per game. He should’ve made every single ballot.
The decision to leave Jokic off the ballot has drawn criticism, including from TNT analyst Charles Barkley, who said the then-unidentified voter was a “damn idiot.”
“There’s one person, I don’t even know this fool’s name, that didn’t even have Joker in the top five,” Barkley said. “People like that shouldn’t get a vote.”
Here’s how social media responded:
Racist https://t.co/HB3j0j8R2a
— Typical Troll (@ItsMyBurner69) May 11, 2023
Genuinely hilarious. https://t.co/4w3ffGrt09
— Andy Bailey (@AndrewDBailey) May 11, 2023
.@MarkJackson13 proving why he deserved to be fired by the @warriors and why other @NBA teams don’t want him. @ESPNNBA needs to follow suit. Absolute clown show. https://t.co/qyWmcOJlH5 pic.twitter.com/Avjzr15gOm
— Mike Rowe – aka Chorizo (@camschorizo) May 11, 2023
And this is why he hasn’t coached since 2014 https://t.co/phgKBjOkgl
— Roseman (@YoNipplesSoft) May 11, 2023
This is some nasty work, no Jokic at all? Strip this man’s vote https://t.co/xKHiq60AS2
— CJ (@cjdahiya) May 11, 2023
Fuck Mark Jackson for real. No Jokic is an absolute crime. Should have his vote stripped https://t.co/UXmO6z36Ck
— Zach Marin ? (@ZachMarin34) May 11, 2023
The 17-year NBA veteran has not addressed why he left Jokic off his ballot.
Denver leads the series 3-2 over the Suns.
The Nuggets will look to close out the series after winning comfortably in Game 5 after Jokic was fined, but avoided a suspension for a courtside dust-up with Suns owner Matt Ishbia.
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