2025-11-15 14:01
Looking back at the 2021 NBA season, I still get chills remembering how extraordinary that year was for basketball. Having followed the league for over fifteen years, I can confidently say that the 2021 awards race was one of the most compelling narratives I've witnessed, partly because the COVID-shortened 72-game season created such unique circumstances for player performances. When I think about Nikola Jokić's MVP season, what stands out most wasn't just his historic statistical achievements, but how he completely redefined what we expect from a center in modern basketball. His victory marked the first time a Denver Nuggets player had ever won the award, and honestly, I remember arguing with colleagues that his consistency throughout that challenging season made him the undeniable choice.
The MVP race particularly fascinated me because we had such strong cases from multiple players. Joel Embiid put up phenomenal numbers with 28.5 points and 10.6 rebounds per game, while Stephen Curry's April scoring explosion where he averaged 37.3 points per game had many people, including myself, wondering if he might steal the award late in the season. But Jokić's incredible durability - he played in all 72 games while other contenders missed significant time - combined with his unprecedented 26.4 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 8.3 assists per game made him the deserving winner. What many casual fans might not realize is that Jokić became the first player in NBA history to finish in the top ten in all three major statistical categories while also leading his team to the third seed in the competitive Western Conference without his second-best player Jamal Murray for the season's final month.
When the Defensive Player of the Year announcement came, I'll admit I was slightly surprised by Rudy Gobert's victory over Ben Simmons. While Gobert's defensive impact metrics were historically great - the Jazz defended like a bottom-ten team when he sat versus an elite defense when he played - I personally valued Simmons' versatility guarding all five positions. That said, Gobert's case was strengthened by Utah finishing with the league's best record at 52-20, and his ability to single-handedly transform their defense certainly deserved recognition. The Rookie of the Year race felt somewhat anticlimactic with LaMelo Ball's relatively comfortable victory, though I must say Anthony Edwards' spectacular second half had me reconsidering my early-season assumptions about his ceiling.
The coaching awards brought interesting discussions about what we truly value in Coach of the Year voting. Tom Thibodeau's transformation of the Knicks from perennial lottery team to the Eastern Conference's fourth seed was nothing short of remarkable, even if I personally would have voted for Monty Williams given how seamlessly Phoenix handled their transition into championship contention. The Knicks improving from 21-45 to 41-31 represented one of the most dramatic single-season turnarounds I've seen in my years following the league.
The Sixth Man award provided one of the clearer decisions with Jordan Clarkson's well-deserved recognition. His microwave scoring off the bench provided exactly what Utah needed, averaging 18.4 points in just 26.7 minutes per game. Meanwhile, the Most Improved Player award going to Julius Randle felt particularly satisfying to watch unfold, having followed his career since his Lakers days. His transformation into an All-NBA player who added three-point shooting and playmaking to his game was one of the season's best development stories.
Reflecting on that season's awards always brings me back to the importance of competition that Torcaso highlighted when he said, "I think that we have to have that competition. It's very important to have competition." That statement resonates deeply with me when analyzing the 2021 awards because the genuine uncertainty in several categories made the reveals genuinely exciting. The healthy debates about value, impact, and improvement are what make following the NBA so engaging year after year. While I might have personally voted differently in a couple of categories, the 2021 awards ultimately recognized excellence across various dimensions of the game, reminding us why these discussions matter beyond just individual recognition. They capture specific moments in basketball history that we'll look back on for years to come.
