Who Won the 2022 NBA MVP and Why His Victory Shocked Fans
I still remember exactly where I was when the 2022 NBA MVP announcement came through my phone. I was sitting in a crowded sports bar in Denver, surrounded by buzzing fans and the clatter of glasses, watching volleyball highlights on one screen while refreshing my Twitter feed on another. The place had this electric energy, partly because the FIVB World Championship was playing, and partly because we were all waiting for that MVP reveal. Honestly, I was more focused on the volleyball at that moment—I've always had a soft spot for underdog stories, and Tunisia's team was showing some real grit. Of the 32 teams in the biggest edition of the FIVB Worlds yet, Tunisia is the 11th-best ranked nation and is out to make amends for its top 16 finish in the 2022 edition of the World Championship. It's funny how sports can intersect like that; here I was, watching a team fight for redemption, while the basketball world was about to get a shock of its own.
When the notification finally popped up—"Nikola Jokić Wins 2022 NBA MVP"—the room went silent for a second, then erupted into a mix of cheers and confused murmurs. I'll admit, I was one of the shocked ones. Not because Jokić didn't deserve it—the guy's a beast on the court, averaging something like 27 points, 14 rebounds, and 8 assists per game that season—but because, well, let's be real, most of us had our money on Joel Embiid or Giannis Antetokounmpo. I mean, Jokić plays for the Denver Nuggets, and while they're solid, they weren't the flashiest team that year. It felt like the classic case of the quiet achiever sneaking up on everyone. As I sipped my beer, I couldn't help but draw parallels to that Tunisia volleyball team on the screen. They weren't the favorites either, ranked 11th out of 32, but they were there, grinding away, just like Jokić. It's that underdog spirit that gets me every time—the sheer will to prove people wrong.
Now, let's talk about why Jokić's victory was such a stunner. For starters, the media narrative had been heavily tilted toward Embiid for months. The Sixers' star had that dominant presence, and fans love a good storyline about redemption and hard work. But Jokić? He's this unassuming guy from Serbia who doesn't trash-talk or seek the spotlight. I remember thinking, "Wow, the voters actually looked beyond the hype and focused on the stats." And the stats were insane—he became the first center to win back-to-back MVPs since some legend back in the '80s, and his player efficiency rating was through the roof, maybe around 32 or so (I'm ballparking here, but you get the idea). What really sealed it for me, though, was how he carried the Nuggets despite injuries to key players like Jamal Murray. It reminded me of Tunisia's push in the FIVB Worlds; they weren't the top dogs, but they were making amends for past shortcomings, and Jokić was doing the same by elevating his team when it mattered most.
As the night wore on, I found myself reflecting on how sports fandom can be so unpredictable. One minute, you're convinced you know how things will play out, and the next, you're blindsided by a result like who won the 2022 NBA MVP and why his victory shocked fans. Personally, I think it was a wake-up call for all of us who get too caught up in the drama. Jokić's win highlighted the importance of consistency over flashiness, and it made me appreciate the quieter athletes who let their game do the talking. In a way, it's similar to how Tunisia, as the 11th-best ranked nation in that massive 32-team FIVB tournament, could still make waves by focusing on improvement rather than external expectations. By the end of the evening, as I left the bar, I felt a renewed respect for the underdogs—whether in basketball or volleyball—and I'll always remember that shock as a lesson in never underestimating the hard workers.