Nikola Jokic, center for the Denver Nuggets, has been named the Hickok Belt® Award winner for June 2023. It was his second win of the year as he also took the award in May. Voting was conducted by a select panel of members of the National Sports Media Association (NSMA). Jokic performed brilliantly in the NBA playoffs, which lead the Denver Nuggets to the 2023 Finals. He was the first player in the NBA to lead the playoffs in total points, rebounds and assists. Jokic lead his team to the NBA Finals with his fantastic playing and shooting. In Game 3 versus the Miami Heat, he finished with 30+ points, 20+ rebounds, 10+ assists in an NBA Finals game. He was dominant in beating the Heat in five games, capturing the franchise’s first NBA title. His performance earned him the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award. Jokic is also the first center to win Finals MVP since Shaquille O’Neal in 2002. The 28-year-old, 6’11” basketball superstar, nicknamed “The Joker,” continues to move forward in his career.
Other finalists for June in order of how the NSMA ranked them included: Brooks Koepka (golf), Josef Newgarden (auto racing), Aaron Judge (baseball), Sergei Bobrovsky (hockey), Nathan Eovaldi (baseball), Jonathan Marchessault (hockey), Carlos Alcaraz (tennis), Ryan Blaney (auto racing), and Anya Sabalenka (tennis).
Jokic’s selection as the Hickok Belt® Award winner for June recognizes him as “the best of the best” in professional sports for the month. It also makes him the fourth candidate eligible to receive the 2023 overall award, joining Jon Rahm, Mikaela Shiffrin, Damian Lillard and other finalists throughout the year based on NSMA voting.
To learn more about the Hickok Belt® Award and its history, visit http://www.hickokbelt.com.
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