The Nuggets center Nikola Jokic was shockingly named to the First Team All-NBA for the 2023–24 season on Wednesday, following his third career league MVP award.

Six years in a row, Jokic has been named to the All-NBA squad, including four first-team selections. Before the league’s new collective bargaining agreement enabled positionless All-NBA ballots, he was the last in a long line of unpleasant award inconsistencies, being selected to the second team the previous season despite coming second in MVP voting.

For the first time, there can be one, two, or more centers on the First Team, Second Team, or Third Team this year. Each of the three teams had two guards, two forwards, and one center on it under the previous voting scheme.

During the regular season, Jokic, 29, shot 58.3% from the floor and averaged 26.4 points, 12.4 rebounds, and nine assists per game. He also recorded 25 triple-doubles. With Jokic on the court, the Nuggets outscored their opponents by 11.8 points per 100 possessions. When he was off the court, they were outscored by 8.6 points per 100 possessions, which translated into a 20.4-point differential in net rating.

However, Denver’s starting lineup under Jokic collapsed during the postseason, which led to an unexpected Game 7 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday and an unsatisfactory season finale. In the second round series, the Nuggets were outscored by eight points when Jokic was playing.

Jokic made NBA history by becoming the ninth three-time MVP between Games 2 and 3 of the series. Only Giannis Antetokounmpo of Milwaukee and LeBron James of the Lakers have joined him in making the elite list each of the six seasons of his All-NBA run. Antetokounmpo and Luka Doncic were both named to the first team for the first time in five years following Wednesday’s announcement.

Additionally, two Nuggets players were voted on for the 2023–24 All-Defensive teams, which were revealed this week, but none of them were selected. With 11 votes for the second team, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is ranked seventh on the outside looking in. Six votes went to Aaron Gordon for the second team.

Jokic ends the ninth season of his career without having witnessed a colleague named to the All-Star, All-Defensive, or All-NBA teams due to those omissions. Another new CBA rule that requires a minimum of 65 games played to be eligible for voting disqualified Jamal Murray from consideration for All-NBA honors this season. Murray participated in 59 games throughout the regular season despite dealing with a number of minor injuries.