Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic is the 2021-22 NBA MVP, and while many might argue that Joel Embiid is more deserving, the votes say otherwise.

After the NBA officially confirmed the recognition on Wednesday, it also released the voting tally. Sure enough, Jokic dominated with 65 first place votes for a total of 875 points. As expected, the Sixers center came in second, albeit with just 706 points on 26 first-place votes.

Several fans and experts have already criticized the NBA and the media for Nikola Jokic's MVP win. While the Nuggets star was indeed s stat monster, the common argument against him was he's not as dominant as Joel Embiid on both ends of the floor.

Still, it's hard to vote against Jokic given the work he has done for a Nuggets team missing their two other best players in Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. The Joker did it all for Denver and led them to a near-identical record with the Sixers, while Joel Embiid and Philly got help from James Harden late in the season.

Put simply, if Embiid was so much better than Jokic as what other people suggest, why did the Sixers end up with just a 51-31 record while the Nuggets were at 48-34?

Jokic had the numbers to back up his MVP claim and the narrative to further solidify his bid. Embiid was simply unlucky that both didn't work out in his favor, and the voting showed just that.