NBA MVP: Wembanyama named first-time finalist with past winners Gilgeous-Alexander, Jokic
Spurs forward would be youngest player to win and eighth foreigner if he were to win; is also a finalist for Defensive Player of the Year
Reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander headlined the finalists announced on Sunday for this year’s award alongside San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama, a first-time candidate, and Denver’s three-time MVP Nikola Jokic.
And for the eighth consecutive year, the MVP will be an international one.
Gilgeous-Alexander, who beat out Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo in the voting last year and was also named NBA Finals MVP as the Thunder beat Indiana for the trophy, averaged more than 30 points per game this season.
He led Oklahoma City to the Western Conference top seed and the best record in the league at 64-18.
Frenchman Wembanyama, 22, has been the driving force of San Antonio’s first run to the playoffs since 2019, averaging a career-high 25 points per game and a league-best 3.1 blocks. He would be the youngest MVP in league history at 22 years old, a few months younger than Derrick Rose was in 2010-11.
Jokic averaged a triple-double and became the first player in NBA history to lead the league in both rebounds and assists in the same season. He averaged 27.9 points, 12.8 rebounds and 10.8 assists per game.