Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic has been selected as the Hickok Belt® Award winner for May 2023. Voting was conducted by a select panel of members of the National Sports Media Association (NSMA). Jokic, playing at MVP level, was selected based on his performance in the NBA playoffs throughout the month, which led the Denver Nuggets to the 2023 Finals.
Jokic is the first player in the history of the NBA to lead the playoffs in total points, rebounds and assists. He became only the eighth player to score 50+ combined points, rebounds and assists in a single playoff run. Jokic lead his team to the NBA Finals with his fantastic playing and shooting. He dealt the final blow to the Miami Heat with his game play in the May 22 Denver Nuggets victory over the Miami Heat, booting superstar LeBron and the Heat out of the playoffs. The 28-year-old, 6’11” basketball superstar, nicknamed “The Joker,” continues to move forward in his remarkable career.
Other finalists for the month of May in order of how the NSMA ranked them included: Brooks Koepka (golf), Aaron Judge (baseball), Josef Newgarden (auto racing), 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 May 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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