The race for the MVP trophy is as tight as a new jar of pickles. The NBA on Thursday announced the three finalists for the league's top individual honor: Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets, Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers, and Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors.
While the result will definitely be a toss-up, another interesting facet to their MVP jostle is the fact that Curry could hinder Jokic and Embiid in tying an NBA record. According to ESPN Statistics and Information, if Jokic and Embiid end up as the winner and the runner-up or vice versa, it would only be the second time in NBA history that a pair of international players finished in the top two of the MVP race. Just in case you're not aware, Jokic hails from Serbia while Embiid is the pride from Cameroon.
The first time it happened was during the 2006-2007 season when Dirk Nowitzki of the Dallas Mavericks trumped good friend Steve Nash of the Phoenix Suns for the coveted plum. Just in case you're not aware again, Nowitzki is from Germany and Nash is from Canada.
If Jokic and Embiid finish as the winner and runner-up, it would be just the 2nd time in which a pair of international players finished 1-2 in MVP voting.
The only time it happened was in 2006-07, when Dirk Nowitzki won MVP and Steve Nash finished as the runner up. https://t.co/27uVx5rF9R
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) May 20, 2021
That leaves us with Curry, who could throw a monkey wrench to the possible milestone. He definitely has a strong chance of winning the MVP trophy with his almost mythical campaign, leading the league in scoring with 32.0 points per outing while leading a middling Golden State Warriors roster to postseason contention.
If Stephen Curry wins, he will notch his third MVP award at 33 years old, spoiling the party for his younger competitors in Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid in the process.
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