Nikola Jokic has won three MVP awards in the last five seasons and finished second twice. Only Boston Celtics legends Bill Russell and Larry Bird have had similar streaks in history.
Last season, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander claimed the MVP following one of the best team seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder in history, despite Jokic becoming only the third player after Oscar Robertson and Russell Westbrook to average a triple-double for a season.
Many called this year's Jokic vs. Shai duel epic. Still, just two seasons ago, we witnessed another fantastic battle between Joel Embiid and Jokic. Joker was aiming for a third consecutive MVP before Embiid surged late in the season to claim his first-ever Michael Jordan Trophy.
It was a pivotal moment for the league because after Jokic had won the MVP award in the two previous seasons and became the first center in 20 years since Shaquille O'Neal to claim that honor, Embiid continued the tradition, which meant that the era of centers had officially returned. The Proces also won the scoring title, becoming the first center in 20 years, also since Shaq, to accomplish that, setting the stage for an even stronger following season.
After 39 games in the 2023-24 season, Embiid was the clear MVP frontrunner, only for the 76ers to shut him down due to a knee injury. At the time, he was posting career highs with 34.7 points, 5.6 assists, 1.2 steals, 38.8 percent from three and 88.3 percent from the free-throw line. He also averaged 11.0 rebounds, 52.9 percent shooting with 1.7 blocks per game.
The Philadelphia 76ers were atop the Eastern Conference at 31-8, but without JoJo, they finished 47-35. When he stopped playing that season, Embiid had a PER of 34.1, which would break a record Jokic had set at 32.85 PER after Wilt held it for 40 years until the 2021-22 season.
He was the first since Wilt to average more than one point per possession, and opponents shot 12.7 percent worse when guarded by him, making him the league leader in that category. Anthony Davis ranked second at 11.1 percent, while Jokic lagged at 2.9 percent. He became the first player since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1972 to record at least 30 points and 10 rebounds in 12 consecutive games.
With a streak of 21 straight 30+ point games, Embiid reached fifth on the all-time list and was on track for perhaps the greatest individual season in history. In the past year and a half, however, he played just 19 games before another injury sparked rumors that his career could be in jeopardy.
When discussing the league's best centers for the next season, consensus was that only Jokic and Embiid belonged in the debate. Still, The Athletic's Zach Harper believes Embiid is no longer Jokic's top rival.
"No offense to any other great big men in this league, but we should all be able to agree that Jokic is in his own tier," Harper said . "Sorry, Sixers fans, but Big Honey is by himself here. After that, I feel very confident putting all my chips in with Wemby as the second-best big man in the league. Mostly, it's because I don't believe Embiid can sustain health enough to be the clear-cut number two, and Wembanyama is going to get even better. Davis might have a chance of being higher if he'd stop fussing about playing center."
"Next part of the list might be controversial. Mostly, there are plenty of Sabonis people who will think he should be higher. I don't think he's bad by any means, but I do believe his lack of defense and inability to play with other big men lowers his ceiling. Also, it wouldn't shock me if Sengun ends up climbing this list quickly."
It's hard to argue Harper's point that, despite Embiid's dominance just two seasons ago, injuries have knocked him off the second-best center spot. Victor Wembanyama at No. 2 is a legitimate pick. However, he has had serious blood clot issues last season that worried fans. Evaluating his season against AD, who is fourth on the list, is difficult. Wemby dominates on both ends but still relies heavily on perimeter play.
Embiid's 23.8 points on 44.4 percent shooting suggest a decline; age isn't helping. But if he returns healthy, it could spell scary times for the rest of the league. Wemby's 24.3 points and 3.8 blocks were spectacular last season, but inefficient for a player of his height. With an improved roster, like De'Aaron Fox and second pick Dylan Harper , he should see easier shots next season, boosting efficiency.
As Harper notes, Domantas Sabonis at No. 10 is controversial. Despite defensive limitations, he led the league in triple-doubles two seasons ago, won three straight rebounding titles, and was a major factor in bringing the Sacramento Kings back to the playoffs after 17 years. Despite constant playoff appearances and a DPOY award with Memphis, Jaren Jackson likely shouldn't rank above Sabonis.
Sabonis also had another strong season with 14 triple-doubles, averaging 19.1 points, 13.9 rebounds, 6.0 assists on an incredible 59.0 percent shooting and 41.7 percent from three. Bam Adebayo at No. 5 is also debatable, as Karl-Anthony Towns had a stronger individual and team season only to finish behind him. Gobert is seventh, Sengun eighth.
Despite a career season, Ivica Zubac only ranks 12th, behind Evan Mobley . However, he played excellent defense on Jokic in a seven-game series and was a serious DPOY candidate. The top 15 also includes Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein , with Kristaps Porzingis , who won NBA titles. All five of them make a strong case to enter at least the top 10.
Overall, the list is intriguing for debate. Still, it's clear Embiid is no longer above Jokic, even though they brought the center position back into the spotlight. Some analysts even believe Embiid's career is close to the finish line .
"I think Joel may know that the end is near," Keith Pompey said . "And this is just me saying, and it's kinda like explaining to people what he's been going through because rarely do you have a guy tell you how much pain he's in and how much they're going through."
If true, it would be a huge loss for the league as JoJo was a top-tier superstar in his prime. Chronic knee issues could cut his career short, similar to Kawhi Leonard , who at least has two titles, while Embiid could retire empty-handed. Until any official retirement announcements, fans can only hope to enjoy a few more seasons of the Sixers' star offensive masterclass.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Aug 20, 2025, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
