Nikola Jokic Emerges as NBA MVP Favorite Amidst Injury Setbacks
Nikola Jokic has taken the lead as the frontrunner for the NBA MVP award this season. The odds have dramatically shifted in Jokic’s favor, thanks to a recent injury to former favorite Joel Embiid.
Embiid’s chances of qualifying for MVP consideration have been jeopardized, as he needs to participate in at least 32 of the Philadelphia 76ers’ remaining 37 games. The odds reflect the skepticism surrounding Embiid’s ability to meet this requirement, as he has dropped from first to fifth place in the rankings.
According to BetMGM, the updated odds heavily favor Jokic to claim the prestigious award. However, these odds fail to account for the potential impact of race on the MVP race.
Last year, Jokic was the overwhelming favorite to win the MVP title at this stage of the season, maintaining his position until March. However, ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins introduced the topic of race into the conversation, without any substantiating evidence.
Perkins baselessly accused voters of showing favoritism towards Jokic due to his race, despite only five white players ever having won the award. He claimed that there is a longstanding history of racial bias in MVP voting.
Perkins went on to challenge white MVP voters to prove they were not racist, while also challenging black voters to prove they were not sellouts. Both groups accepted his challenge, leading to Embiid receiving the MVP award, despite Jokic’s objectively superior performance.
It remains to be seen whether Perkins, who seemingly harbors a bias against white basketball players, will attempt to pressure voters to support a black candidate once again. However, the responsibility for potentially denying Jokic the MVP title does not rest solely on Perkins’ shoulders. Other media pundits are also willing to propagate racist sentiments towards Jokic.
The resistance towards the rise of white European players is widespread, with individuals like Mark Jones, Gilbert Arenas, and Bomani Jones joining Perkins in their biased views. Jason Whitlock has even argued that anti-white racism is a prerequisite for success and acceptance in the sports media, making white basketball players the primary targets.
Whitlock highlighted an instance where Stephen A. Smith praised Embiid for scoring 70 points, only to dismiss Luka Doncic’s 73-point achievement as “disgraceful” days later. Smith attributed Doncic’s performance to poor defense, insinuating that black players on the court could have prevented him from succeeding if they had exerted full effort.
Given these circumstances, Stephen A. Smith may be the frontrunner to hinder Jokic’s chances of winning the MVP this time around.
Ultimately, the exploitation of the race card by the media remains an effective tool. Many careers depend on perpetuating the notion of white supremacy on a grand scale, despite its lack of existence.
It is worth noting that the race card was not played in the two previous seasons, both of which saw Jokic claim the MVP title.
Nikola Jokic undeniably stands as the NBA’s best player and deserves recognition as the frontrunner for the MVP award. He should have won the title last season as well.
However, the prevalence of anti-white racism within the sports media is hindering Jokic’s chances. In light of this, it is advisable to consider placing MVP bets on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jayson Tatum, or Anthony Edwards, rather than Jokic or Luka.
