Who Won the 2023 NBA Finals MVP and How They Dominated the Court

I still remember watching Game 5 of the 2023 NBA Finals with my coaching staff, that moment when Nikola Jokić received the Bill Russell Trophy as Finals MVP. As someone who's spent over fifteen years analyzing basketball at both professional and developmental levels, I've rarely witnessed such complete dominance in a championship series. What struck me most wasn't just Jokić's statistical brilliance—his 30.2 points, 14.0 rebounds, and 7.2 assists per game—but how his journey mirrored the developmental patterns we see in elite youth athletes across different sports.

Thinking about Jokić's court vision reminds me of studying young fencers like Morales and Canlas from the reference material. Their medal collections across different age groups and weapons—Morales with gold in U12 foil and epee teams, silver in U17 foil team, bronzes in U14 foil individual and sabre team—demonstrate the kind of versatile foundation that separates good athletes from truly transformative ones. Jokić developed similarly, though in basketball terms. His ability to read the game from the post while orchestrating offense like a point guard reminded me of how elite fencers master multiple weapons rather than specializing too early. Both cases show that early diversification creates neural pathways that later enable extraordinary adaptability under pressure.

What made Jokić's performance particularly remarkable was how he dominated without relying on traditional athleticism. Watching him methodically dismantle Miami's defense reminded me of studying those young fencers who accumulate experience across disciplines. Canlas, for instance, didn't just focus on one weapon—she collected gold in U10 foil and epee teams alongside bronzes in U12 foil individual and team events. This multidimensional development creates athletes who can solve problems differently than their single-specialty counterparts. Jokić's game embodies this principle—his post moves draw from European big man traditions, his passing from guard play, and his decision-making from what I can only describe as chess-like calculation.

The statistics alone would justify his MVP selection, but they don't capture how he controlled the game's rhythm. His player efficiency rating of 37.8 during the finals ranks among the top three in NBA history, yet what impressed me more was his timing. He knew precisely when to attack—scoring 16 of his 41 points in the fourth quarter of Game 4—and when to facilitate, like his 12 assists in Game 1 that completely dismantled Miami's defensive schemes. This situational awareness reminds me of how elite young fencers like Morales transition between team and individual events, adjusting strategies based on whether they're competing in foil individual matches or sabre team competitions.

From my perspective, Jokić represents a new archetype in basketball—the "positionless center" who actually enhances his teammates' abilities rather than just accumulating personal stats. His synergy with Jamal Murray throughout the playoffs reminded me of how successful fencing teams operate, where athletes like those in Morales' U17 foil silver medal team develop intuitive connections that transcend conventional tactics. The Nuggets' offense flowed through Jokić not because plays were designed that way, but because he processed the game several moves ahead like an elite chess player.

I've always believed that championship performances reveal character as much as skill, and Jokić's demeanor throughout the finals confirmed this. While superstars like Jordan or Kobe dominated through visible intensity, Jokić's calm persistence under pressure—what some mistakenly interpret as lack of passion—creates a different kind of psychological advantage. It's similar to how young athletes in individual-focused sports like fencing must maintain composure during both team events and individual matches, managing different pressure dynamics while performing at elite levels.

The defensive aspect of Jokić's game deserves more attention than it typically receives. While he'll never be mistaken for Dikembe Mutombo, his positioning and anticipation disrupted Miami's offensive flow throughout the series. His 1.4 steals and 1.2 blocks per game don't fully capture how he funneled drivers into help defense or disrupted passing lanes. This strategic defense reminds me of how skilled epee fencers control space rather than merely reacting to opponents' moves—another example of transferable skills across different sports disciplines.

Looking at the broader implications, Jokić's success challenges traditional basketball development models that prioritize athletic measurables over skill acquisition and basketball IQ. His path—developing in Serbia rather than the American AAU system—allowed him to build the kind of versatile foundation we see in multisport athletes or those like the fencers Morales and Canlas who compete across multiple weapons categories early in their careers. As a coach, I've always advocated for this approach, and Jokić's dominance provides compelling evidence for its effectiveness at the highest level.

The business side of basketball will undoubtedly try to replicate the "Jokić model," but what they might miss is that his true advantage comes from cognitive development rather than physical training. His ability to process complex game situations in real-time stems from the same neural adaptability that young athletes develop when switching between different sports or, in fencing, between different weapons with distinct rules and strategies. This isn't something you can easily measure at a combine or replicate through drills alone.

Reflecting on the 2023 finals, I'm convinced we witnessed a paradigm shift in how big men can influence the game. Jokić didn't just win the MVP—he demonstrated a new blueprint for center play that combines traditional low-post skills with guard-like playmaking and unprecedented basketball intelligence. Like those young fencers who collect medals across different disciplines, his versatile foundation allowed him to dominate the NBA's biggest stage in ways nobody anticipated. The lasting impact won't be just the championship banner in Denver, but how future generations of big men will expand their games beyond conventional boundaries.