The Basketball Movement breaks down what it means to be the MVP of a team sport.

NBA MVP, WNBA MVP, National College Player of the Year, high school player of the year… we are always seeing awards given to the most valuable players, though basketball is a team sport. To many, team success should be the bar by which all else is measured. In many ways, team success does come first. However, the effort and skill of the individuals make teams win; some individuals bring more to the table than others.

The NBA recently named its MVP for the 2020-21 regular season. Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets was consistent, unique in his dominance, and the leader in almost every statistical category for his team, which finished with a 47-25 record (third in the Western Conference).

Team success? Check. A healthy, consistent season? Check. Statistical dominance? (26/11/8 with great percentages, led NBA in +/- and VORP) Check. Are these the things that truly determine the most valuable player?

On just a team level, the different values players bring can be challenging to quantify. Having a willing distributor could provide more impact than a three-point specialist. Having a three-point specialist could be more valuable some nights than having a dominant rebounder or defensive stopper. Many solid teams are put over the top by a chippy jack-of-all-trades.

Any given team could have a most valuable player that no one else may guess. It could be a great locker room presence that holds the team together. Scoring stands out, but a player’s actual value can only be witnessed by those that watch closely and know what to look for.

Nikola “The Joker” Jokic entered the league humble, a willing passer, and well, tall. He has developed into an elite scorer at all three levels, a solid defender and rebounder, and perhaps the greatest passing center the world has seen. He seems genuinely liked by his teammates and has never been the root of any known drama, a rarity for an NBA star.

Value can be defined subjectively, so there will always be a debate. Some players put up gaudy numbers on largely irrelevant teams, while others like Jokic are simply the most impressive cog in a winning machine. Players who achieve individually but do so by elevating those around them are typically the most valuable.

Basketball is a team sport, after all.

How would you define the MVP of a team sport? Do you think The Joker is the NBA’s rightful winner, or did someone else get robbed? Let’s keep the discussion going as we continue monitoring the basketball movement!