NUGGETS CENTER JOKIC ON ALL-NBA FIRST TEAM
Add another accolade to Nikola Jokic’s impressive résumé.
The Nuggets center on Thursday was selected to the all-NBA first team for the 2018-19 season. He is the second player in franchise history to receive first-team honors — joining David Thompson, who was selected in the 197677 and 1977-78 seasons. This is Jokic’s first all-NBA selection.
Jokic received 59 of the 100 available first-team votes, 38 second-team votes and two thirdteam votes for a total of 411 points, beating out Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid (375 points). Jokic is the first Serbian player to earn all-NBA first-team honors.
Jokic, 24, was named to his first NBA all-star team this season. In regular-season games, he averaged 20.1 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 7.3 assists — leading Denver its first playoff appearance since 2013. He starred in the postseason, improving his averages to 25.1 points, 13.0 rebounds and 8.4 assists in 14 playoff games.
He is the seventh Nuggets player to be selected to an all-NBA team. The others on the list are Thompson (two first-team honors), Carmelo Anthony (one second team and three third teams), Chauncey Billups (one third team), Alex English (three second teams), Fat Lever (one second team) and Antonio McDyess (one third team).
Jokic is joined on the first team by Milwaukee forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, Houston guard James Harden, Golden State guard Stephen Curry and Oklahoma City forward Paul George.
The second team consists of Embiid, Golden State forward Kevin Durant, Toronto forward Kawhi Leonard, Portland guard Damian Lillard and Boston guard Kyrie Irving.
On the third team are Oklahoma City guard Russell Westbrook, Detroit forward Blake Griffin, Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James, Utah center Rudy Gobert and Charlotte guard Kemba Walker.
— Joe Nguyen, The Denver Post