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Ex-Warrior Tarnishes Luka Doncic MVP Talks With Bizarre Michael Jordan Claim: “Would’ve Had at Least 12”

Published 03/11/2024, 10:39 PM EDT

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Luka Doncic has been on fire since the All-Star break. He has scored seven consecutive triple-doubles and is arguably the most lethal offensive player in the NBA. Luka is also the first person in NBA history to score six straight 30+ point triple-doubles. Luka’s scoring outburst has left many fans wondering why he is not in the MVP conversation despite leading the NBA in scoring average.

Amid the MVP talks, former Warriors’ star Gilbert Arenas disregarded Luka’s claim at the prestigious award. During the latest episode of Gil’s Arena, Arenas compared Luka’s situation to 6-time Champion Michael Jordan. Just like Luka, MJ was a scoring machine. He won a record 10 scoring titles in his Hall of Fame career and tied Wilt Chamberlain with 7 consecutive wins. However, Jordan won the MVP award only 5 times because his team was not winning during the early days of his career. “Every year Michael Jordan led the league in scoring … In 15 years, sh*t he would have had at least 12 MVPs.” Arenas claimed.

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According to Arenas, team success has always been a major factor in selecting the regular season MVP. Even though Jordan was the best player in the NBA throughout his career, he won the MVP trophy only once before 1990. MJ’s remaining 4 MVPs came during the seasons when Chicago won a championship. So, despite Luka’s individual success, he might not win the MVP trophy because Dallas is still 8th in the Western Conference standings. “Winning is involved, so no, he is not even considered,” Arenas added.

Who is Gilbert Arenas’ MVP if not Luka Doncic?

Despite Luka averaging 34.7 points, 9.8 assists, and 9 rebounds, Gilbert Arenas was not pleased with the idea of him winning MVP. He instead picked OKC Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as his MVP for this season. According to Arenas, what Shai has done this season was completely unexpected. While everyone knew Nikola Jokic and Jayson Tatum would be great and help their team win, no one expected Shai to take OKC so high in the rankings. Shai is having a historic season, averaging 31.1 points, 6.4 assists, and 5.5 rebounds.

Shai has led the Thunder to the Number 1 seed in the stacked Western Conference. Even though there are no set criteria to choose the MVP, Arenas believes Shai checks all the boxes in terms of individual and team success. It will be hard for Luka to be considered in the MVP race because players like Shai and Jokic are having equally great individual seasons along with better team success.

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Written by:

Rohan Bhaunt

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Rohan Singh Bhaunt, an NBA Writer at EssentiallySports, boasts a background as a divisional basketball player and an NBA enthusiast spanning over a decade. His extensive knowledge of the sport enables him to intricately explore its nuances, presenting a fresh outlook. Rohan's dive into the NBA newsdesk at ES commenced with witnessing LeBron James secure his inaugural championship in Miami.
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Edited by:

Saumya Khanduja