Who Was Crowned the 2023 NBA Finals MVP and How Did They Achieve It?
2025-11-20 11:01
I still remember watching that final buzzer sound in Game 5 of the 2023 NBA Finals, the confetti raining down as Nikola Jokić lifted both the Larry O'Brien Trophy and his well-deserved Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP award. What struck me most wasn't just his incredible statistics - 30.2 points, 14 rebounds, and 7.2 assists per game throughout the series - but how his journey reminded me of something I'd witnessed in youth sports development. You see, I've spent considerable time studying young athletes across different disciplines, and there's something fascinating about how early specialization versus diverse experience shapes champions.
When I look at Jokić's game, I see someone who defies traditional basketball wisdom much like those young fencers I've observed who succeed across multiple weapons. The reference material mentions young athletes like Morales winning gold in both U12 foil and epee teams while also medaling in sabre - that's three different weapons requiring completely different approaches. Similarly, Jokić brings what I can only describe as a foil fencer's precision in his passing, an epeeist's strategic patience in his post game, and occasionally even a sabreur's explosive decision-making in his drives to the basket. His game is this beautiful mosaic of skills that you'd typically expect from specialists rather than one player.
What really stood out to me during those finals was how Jokić dismantled Miami's defense not through athletic domination but through what I'd call 'tactical plurality.' Remember Game 3 when he scored 32 points but also grabbed 21 rebounds and handed out 10 assists? That wasn't just a triple-double - that was a masterclass in weaponizing every aspect of basketball. It reminded me of how those young fencers like Canlas, referenced in the materials, collected medals across different age categories and weapons - gold in U10 foil and epee teams, bronze in U12 individual and team events. There's a pattern here of athletes who develop broad foundations rather than hyper-specializing early.
I've always believed that the most interesting champions are those who cross-pollinate skills between different domains. Watching Jokić operate in the post with those subtle footwork moves, I couldn't help but see parallels to a foil fencer's precision in their footwork and blade work. His incredible passing vision? That reminds me of how epee fencers must anticipate actions several moves ahead. Even his occasionally goofy-looking but highly effective defensive positioning brings to mind how sabreurs create unconventional angles. He's proof that developing diverse athletic intelligence pays dividends later.
The way Jokić elevated his game specifically for the finals was particularly remarkable. His scoring jumped from 24.5 in the regular season to over 30 in the finals, his rebounding increased by nearly 4 per game, and his assist numbers remained elite despite facing Miami's constant defensive adjustments. This ability to raise performance when it matters most echoes what I've seen in those young champions who medal across multiple tournaments and age categories - they develop what I call 'clutch adaptability.'
What many casual viewers might miss about Jokić's finals performance was how he exploited mismatches that other players wouldn't even recognize. When Miami went small, he punished them in the post. When they doubled, he became a playmaker. When they tried to play him straight up, he showcased his scoring. This multifaceted approach reminds me of those U12 and U14 fencers who succeed across different weapons - they build this toolkit of solutions rather than relying on one dominant weapon.
Personally, I think Jokić's finals performance might be one of the most intelligently dominant in recent memory, even if it lacked the flashy athleticism of someone like Giannis or the sharpshooting spectacle of Curry. There's something profoundly beautiful about watching someone outthink entire defensive schemes rather than simply overpowering them. His game has this chess-like quality where he's always three moves ahead, similar to how elite epee fencers control distance and timing.
The narrative around Jokić before these finals was that he was regular-season marvel who might not have that extra gear for championship basketball. Well, he certainly answered that criticism by posting a player efficiency rating of 37.8 in the finals, which if my math serves me right, would be among the highest in finals history. He didn't just meet expectations - he shattered them in ways that reminded everyone why valuing fundamental basketball intelligence over flashy athleticism still wins championships.
Watching him receive that MVP trophy, I was struck by how his journey mirrors the development patterns I've observed in those multi-disciplinary young athletes. They build this broad foundation of skills that allows them to adapt and excel when specialization becomes necessary. Jokić might be a basketball player, but his approach to the game shares DNA with those young fencers who succeed across foil, epee, and sabre - they all understand that true mastery comes from understanding their craft at its fundamental level across multiple domains before specializing in winning.