Who Was Crowned the 2023 NBA Finals MVP and How Did They Achieve It?
I still remember watching Game 5 of the 2023 NBA Finals with that electric atmosphere in Denver's Ball Arena, the air thick with anticipation and the scent of championship glory. When the final buzzer sounded, there was little doubt in my mind who would be holding that Bill Russell Trophy. Nikola Jokić, the Serbian center who had redefined what's possible for a big man in modern basketball, was crowned the 2023 NBA Finals MVP in what felt like the most inevitable coronation I've witnessed in recent sports history.
What struck me most about Jokić's journey to this pinnacle wasn't just his statistical dominance—though his numbers were staggering—but how his unconventional path mirrored the developmental stories we see in other sports. Thinking about young athletes like Morales and Canlas from the fencing world, who collected medals across different age groups and weapons disciplines, I see parallels in Jokić's own multifaceted development. While Morales was mastering foil, epee, and sabre across various age categories, Jokić was quietly developing an equally diverse arsenal of basketball skills in Serbia, far from the American basketball spotlight. His game combines the footwork of a fencer with the strategic mind of a chess grandmaster, proving that specialization isn't always the only path to greatness.
The raw numbers from Jokić's Finals performance still astonish me when I revisit them. He averaged 30.2 points, 14.0 rebounds, and 7.2 assists while shooting 58.3% from the field across the five-game series against Miami. But statistics alone can't capture his impact. Watching him dismantle Miami's defensive schemes reminded me of how a skilled fencer like Morales must adapt between foil and epee—different weapons requiring different strategies, much like Jokić adjusting his approach quarter by quarter, sometimes possession by possession. His basketball IQ operates on another level entirely; he sees passing lanes that simply don't exist for other players, threading needles with deliveries that defy physics and expectation.
What many casual observers miss about Jokić's game is how his unathletic appearance belies incredible technical precision. Much like how young Canlas developed fundamental excellence across different fencing disciplines before specializing, Jokić spent years honing fundamentals that would become the foundation of his MVP-caliber game. His footwork in the post, his touch around the rim, his passing vision—these weren't sudden developments but skills refined over thousands of hours of practice. I've followed his career since his early days in Europe, and even then, you could see the seeds of greatness in his unconventional playstyle.
The Heat tried everything against him—double teams, zone defenses, even letting him score while shutting down his teammates. Nothing worked consistently. Jokić's ability to read defenses and make the correct play every single time reminded me of how elite fencers must constantly assess and adapt to their opponents' strategies. When Miami took away his scoring, he became a playmaker, tallying 12 assists in Game 1. When they focused on his passing, he dropped 41 points in Game 3. This versatility across different aspects of the game mirrors the cross-disciplinary success we see in developing athletes like Morales, who found success across multiple fencing weapons before potentially specializing later.
Jamal Murray's brilliant supporting performance deserves mention too—his 26.0 points and 6.8 assists per game created the perfect complement to Jokić's dominance. Their two-man game became virtually unstoppable, a partnership built through years of playing together through injuries and setbacks. Having covered the NBA for over a decade, I can confidently say their chemistry ranks among the best I've ever witnessed, reminiscent of legendary duos like Stockton and Malone but with a modern flair.
Denver's championship wasn't just about Jokić, but he was undoubtedly the engine that made everything work. Head coach Michael Malone built the system around his unique talents, much like how coaches develop training regimens that leverage young athletes' diverse skills before they potentially specialize. The Nuggets recognized early that Jokić's passing ability from the center position could revolutionize their offense, and they committed to that vision even when critics doubted whether such an unconventional approach could win at the highest level.
Looking back at the 2023 Finals, what impresses me most in retrospect is how Jokić maintained his dominance despite Miami throwing every defensive look imaginable at him. The Heat are renowned for their defensive adaptability under Erik Spoelstra, yet Jokić solved every puzzle they presented. His performance in the clinching Game 5—28 points, 16 rebounds, and 4 assists—was a masterclass in closing out a series, demonstrating the killer instinct that separates great players from legendary ones.
Jokić's journey from second-round draft pick to Finals MVP represents everything I love about sports—the unpredictability, the development of unique talents, and the triumph of skill over conventional athletic metrics. His achievement reminds me that greatness often comes from embracing one's unique strengths rather than conforming to traditional molds. Just as young fencers like Morales and Canlas develop diverse skills across different weapons before potentially specializing, Jokić's game incorporates elements from various positions to create something truly unique. In my view, his 2023 Finals performance ranks among the most impressive individual achievements in recent NBA history, not just for the statistics but for how he transformed our understanding of what's possible in basketball.
