Denver Nuggets' Serbian pivot Nikola Jokic has been named the NBA's regular season best player, the same North American basketball league announced today.
The 26-year-old overtook the Cameroonian center of the Philadelphia 76ers, Joel Embiid (second), and the point guard of the Golden State Warriors, Stephen Curry (third).
He succeeds the Greek Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks, acclaimed in the last two seasons.
Which makes him the third European in history to receive the Maurice Podoloff trophy, 14 years after German former Dallas Mavericks star Dirk Nowitzki.