As the NBA prepares to announce its 2025 MVP, check out the stats of the top two contenders from league's Western Conference.

Former Denver Nuggets coach Michael Malone, who the franchise fired days before the 2025 NBA playoffs opened, raised eyebrows when he stumped for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander over Nikola Jokić for the NBA MVP award.

One player that will likely be staying in Denver during the offseason is Nikola Jokic, who put together arguably the best season of his career. Because of this, Jokic was a finalist for the 2024-25 Kia NBA MVP award which was announced on Wednesday night ahead of Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

Nikola Jokić didn't mince words when asked if his Denver Nuggets could still win a title with the core from its 2023 championship team.

For the second straight season, Nikola Jokić's eternally resilient Denver Nuggets took a Western Conference heavyweight to seven games in the second round. And for the second straight season, Jokić's Nuggets ultimately fell short for the same reason.

Jokić played the entire second half as Denver rode it stars. But fatigue was evident as OKC rallied for the pivotal Game 5 win.

Nikola Jokić lived up to his nickname on Friday, arriving at the Ball Arena wearing a Joker-inspired purple and green suit before helping the Denver Nuggets to a dramatic, overtime 113-104 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 3 of their playoff series.

Nikola Jokić's parents, Nikolina and Branislav Jokić, played a significant role in his career success. His mother first discovered his passion for basketball.

The Nuggets did their best to push the Thunder in Game 7, but their loss highlights issues around Nikola Jokić

After lobbying for Nikola Jokić to win MVP in March, the former Denver Nuggets head coach has changed his mind.