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The time has come again this year for the ESPN poll on who is the best basketball player in the world. Let's remember that in the past years, this survey caused quite a strong reaction from the public because many thought it was unfair.
ESPN did not advertise about it, but it seems that the reactions are much better this year. Three full years after receiving the first award for the NBA's most valuable player, Nikola Jokic received the recognition he deserved a long time ago.
In a survey conducted by ESPN among 15 influential basketball workers (scouts, coaches and general managers), Nikola Jokic was judged to be the best player in the NBA, and therefore in the whole world, since it is difficult for someone to be the best if he does not play in the strongest league in the world.
Nikola Jokic won the award convincingly, Denver fans were finally satisfied
Out of a total of 15 basketball workers, 13 of them voted for Nikola Jokic, while two voted for Janis Antetokounmpo from Milwaukee. Therefore, Embiid was not even on his mind, even though last season he was (unfairly) chosen as the MVP, that is, many believed that at that moment he was both the best center and the best player on the planet.
It is interesting that in the previous four years of the traditional ESPN survey, Jokic did not receive a single vote, even when he was MVP, so apparently only the championship ring with Denver made everyone change their minds when it comes to the status of Sombor.
It can also be said that in this way they admitted their own mistake, since he has been underestimated by the public many times, perhaps because he is not American. There were also some novelties in this year's survey that made this popular survey even more interesting.
It looks like ESPN listened to the comments on last year's poll and made the changes that the audience was asking for. Interestingly, the poll also voted for who will be the best NBA player in five years, and Luka Dončić won the majority (six votes).
Three votes went to Edwards from Minnesota, two each to Jokic and Wembanyama, and one each to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jayson Tatum. But that time is yet to come because nine out of 15 respondents believe that Jokic is certainly the MVP next season as well...
We think that this year's ESPN survey was the most interesting so far, and we hope that it will be done in this way in the future. Because why change something when it's already good.
