Nikola Jokic is the odds-on favorite to win his third-straight NBA MVP Award.
The Serbia native is well on his way to becoming the fourth player in NBA history to win three straight MVPs, joining Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell and Larry Bird.
Jokic is averaging a triple-double (24.6 points, 11.7 rebounds, 10.0 assists) for the first-place Denver Nuggets.
But former NBA champion Kendrick Perkins, now an ESPN analyst, says there’s racial hypocrisy in the award’s voting.
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Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic gestures after being called for a foul in the second half of a game against the Charlotte Hornets Dec. 18, 2022, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
On Wednesday’s edition of “First Take,” Perkins acknowledged only three players since 1990 have won an MVP despite being outside the top 10 in points per game: Jokic in his first MVP campaign in 2020-21, Dirk Nowitzki (2006-07) and Steve Nash (2004-05, 2005-06).
“What do those guys have in common? I’ll let it sit there and marinate. You think about it,” he said, testing co-host Stephen A. Smith.
He also used a famous lyric from Jay-Z: “Is it ‘Oochie Wally’ or is it ‘One Mic?'”
The rhyme insinuated that rival Nas’ songs sent two separate messages. “Oochie Wally” contains misogynistic lyrics, while “One Mic” is more socially conscious. The lyrics are now a phrase commonly used to call out hypocrisies and double standards.
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic shoots against the New York Knicks during the first half of a game Dec. 4, 2021, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
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Perkins also tweeted a similar response to the one he had on television, but the video has since been deleted.
Nikola Jokic (15) of the Denver Nuggets during a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder March 26, 2022, at the Ball Arena in Denver, Colo. (Bart Young/NBAE via Getty Images)
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Jokic dropped his 100th career triple-double earlier this week, but Perkins has criticized the big man in the past for stat padding.
