"I rather win a championship than win MVP" - Nikola Jokic wins NBA MVP award

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic was named the NBA's Most Valuable Player for 2020-21 on Tuesday (8 June), making him the lowest draft pick ever to win the award.

Known as "The Joker", the Serbian was selected with the 41st draft pick when he entered the NBA in 2014.

The 26-year-old was key part of the Denver this season, averaging a career-best 26.4 points per game with 8.3 assists and 10.8 rebounds.

Jokic was the runaway winner, getting 91 of the 101 first-place ballots cast - 100 of them from a global panel of sportswriters and broadcasters who cover the league, the other being an aggregate first-place ballot compiled from fan voting.

Philadelphia's Joel Embiid was second, Golden State's Stephen Curry was third, 2019 and 2020 MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo of Milwaukee was fourth and Phoenix's Chris Paul was fifth.

The previous record-holders for lowest draft picks who became MVPs were Steve Nash and Giannis Antetokounmpo, who were both chosen 15th overall. Antetokounmpo won the MVP award each of the last two seasons.

He is the fifth international player to win the award and the first player in Denver history to clinch the accolade.