Two great masters from Europe, more precisely from the area of the former Yugoslavia and a phenomenal Canadian - the NBA League has announced three names that are officially in the running for the best basketball player of the strongest league on the planet.
The new MVP of the regular season will be Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic or Sej Gildzis-Aleksander, the NBA announced.
The maestro from Serbia and the basketball player from Denver will chase the third MVP award, while the Slovenian basketball player from Dallas and the Canadian from Oklahoma are waiting for the first most prestigious individual award.
If Jokić, who is certainly the favorite, is the best again, he will become the ninth player with three or more MVP awards.
He would thus stand side by side with legends such as Kareem Abdul Jabbaru (six), Michael Jordan, Bill Russell (five), Wilt Chamberlain, LeBron James (four), Moses Mellon, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson (three).
In addition to the candidates for the most valuable player of the season, the NBA announced the names of candidates in six other categories.
San Antonio basketball player Victor Vembanjama, last year's first pick in the draft, is the biggest favorite for the Rookie of the Year award, with Chet Holmgren from Oklahoma and Brandon Miller from Charlotte competing.
Miami's Bem Adebayo, Minnesota's Rudy Gober and Victor Vembanjama are in the running for the league's best defender, while Philadelphia's Tyreese Maxey, Houston's Alperen Shengun and Chicago's Kobe White are candidates for the award for the player who has improved the most this season.
Candidates for the best sixth basketball player in the league are Malik Monk from Sacramento, Bobby Portis Jr. from Milwaukee and Naz Reed from Minnesota, and for the "clutch" award, that is, the master of finishing, Steph Curry from Golden State, DeMar DeRozan from Chicago and Gilgis-Alexander from Oklahoma.
Oklahoma's Mark Degnolt, Minnesota's Chris Finch and Orlando's Jamal Mosley are in the running for the Coach of the Year award.
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