The Heisman Winner, NBA MVP, NHL MVP Are All From Colorado

It's been an exciting last couple of years for Colorado sports teams. The Denver Nuggets began their '24 season riding high as champions from the year prior. The Avalanche took home the Stanley Cup in 2022, CSU made it to a bowl game for the first time in years, and Coach Prime has successfully rebuilt the University of Boulder's football team.

It's watching these elite athletes compete that makes following Colorado sports teams so special and fun. Fans root for their favorite players and hope to see them succeed, so it's especially awesome when they do.

In 2024, Colorado made history in the sports world as well. It's the first year in which the winners of the Heisman Trophy (Travis Hunter), NBA MVP (Nikola Jokic), and NHL MVP (Nathan MacKinnon) all played for teams in the same state.

In the 2022–23 NBA season, Nikola Jokić was awarded NBA Finals MVP after leading the Nuggets to their first-ever NBA championship. The Joker is one of just nine players in league history to win the award three or more times. The Nuggets' Center remains the reigning MVP until he passes on the crown after the 2024–25 season ends.

In June, Nathan MacKinnon who plays Center for the Colorado Avalanche swept the votes of the Professional Hockey Writers Association to win the Hart Memorial Trophy and the Ted Lindsay Award. This trophy is annually handed out to the most valuable player in the NHL.

With Travis Hunter named the Heisman Trophy winner from the University of Colorado last week, 2024 marks the first year in history that the most valuable players for the National Hockey League, National Basketball Association, and the Heisman winner all played for teams in the same state.

The Heisman Trophy is considered the most prestigious award in college sports. Hunter is the first Colorado Buffalo to earn the honor since Rashaan Salaam in 1994. After his appearance in the Alamo Bowl, Hunter will be headed for the NFL draft.

This impressive athletic feat won't happen very often, since few states are represented in all three leagues.