The NBA MVP is the most prestigious individual regular-season award. Across the league’s 79-year history, winning MVP distinguishes a player as one of the best of his generation.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar earned six MVPs. Larry Bird won three consecutive MVPs in 1984–86. This year, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Victor Wembanyama, Luka Doncic, and Nikola Jokic are in a heated race.
Luka Doncic, Los Angeles Lakers
Playing in Los Angeles carries intense pressure and a global spotlight. Luka Doncic has risen to that challenge, averaging 33.8 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 8.3 assists on 47/36/78 shooting—a line no other player in NBA history has posted. His offseason work on diet and conditioning unlocked one of his best career campaigns.
However, a Grade 2 hamstring injury has sidelined him for the remainder of the regular season, leaving him one game short of the 65-game minimum for MVP eligibility.
He’s currently in Madrid getting special treatment to expedite the rehab process with the postseason looming. With the Lakers currently tied for third in the Western Conference with the Denver Nuggets, his absence could allow Denver to leapfrog them.
Doncic’s March was historic, scoring 600 points—the second-most post-merger behind Michael Jordan’s 676 in 1987. Winning MVP would make him the first Laker since Kobe Bryant in 2008 and the fifth overall, joining Kareem, Magic, Shaq, and Kobe in Lakers lore.
Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets
Before his hyperextended leg injury kept him out for a month, Nikola Jokic was the clear frontrunner for his fourth MVP. Over 32 games pre-injury, he averaged 29.6 points, 12.2 rebounds, and 11.0 assists with remarkable efficiency: 66/44/85 shooting splits, 71.3% TS%, and a 16.4 BPM. His historic 56-16-15 Christmas performance against the Timberwolves showcased why he was the MVP favorite.
Since returning on January 30, Jokic’s efficiency dipped. He’s averaged 26.0 points, 13.6 rebounds, and 10.7 assists on 53.4/32.3/80 shooting, with turnovers rising to 4.1 per game and TS% falling to 62.8%. Despite the drop, the Nuggets still boast the league’s highest offensive rating (120.8) and 61.5% true shooting.
Injuries to Aaron Gordon, Peyton Watson, and Christian Braun, paired with a 21st-ranked defensive rating, have made Jokic’s path to MVP more complicated. He joined Russell Westbrook as the only players to average a triple-double for consecutive seasons and became the first player to lead the league in both rebounds and assists.
With the recent injuries to the Lakers, the Nuggets now look like the clear favorite to finish No. 3 in the Western Conference, further strengthening Jokic’s case. A fourth MVP would place Jokic among the pantheon: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Russell, Michael Jordan, and LeBron James.
Historic Company.
Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs
Coming into this season, many predicted the Spurs to make the playoffs, but few could have foreshadowed the seismic leap they’d make atop the NBA. A large part of that is due to the “Alien” patrolling the interior: Victor Wembanyama.
Since his highly anticipated arrival from France in 2023, Wembanyama has exceeded all expectations. Wembanyama has sought vengeance on his fellow mere mortals after deep vein thrombosis cut short his sophomore season. Wembanyama has led the league in blocks for the third straight season, with splits of 24.9/11.6/3.1, over 50% from the field, and 35% from downtown.
What he doesn’t block, he alters. Whenever he’s nearby, opponents hesitate before attempting a shot. The Spurs have the best record since Feb 1 at 27-3 and have the fifth-best offensive rating and third-best defensive rating as of April 6.
Wembanyama has been stellar in that span, averaging 25.9 points. 12.1 rebounds and 3.6 blocks per game while having the best defensive field goal percentage in the league behind Chet Holmgren.
He recently delivered a remarkable performance against Jokic, scoring 34 points, grabbing 18 rebounds, providing 7 assists, and blocking five shots. An all-around dominant performance despite the narrow 136-134 loss to the Nuggets.
Winning MVP would make Wembanyama the youngest MVP in NBA history, surpassing Derrick Rose’s 2011 campaign when he won it at 22 years and 191 days old. If Wembanyama won, he’d be 22 years old and roughly 3-4 months old (approx. 83-92 days).
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder
Whether you question how “ethical” his game is, there’s no denying the greatness of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The reigning league MVP is on pace to finish his fourth consecutive season averaging 30 or more points on over 50% shooting from the field.
Only Michael Jordan has done that.
If you add in that he’s on pace to become the first guard to shoot over 55% from the field, it just leaves you mesmerized at how easy he makes the game look. The Thunder started off the season on a torrid pace of 24-1 that looked like they were on the verge of eclipsing the 2016 Warriors’ 73-9 record.
However, injuries to Jalen Williams, Isaiah Hartenstein, and others left Gilgeous-Alexander to carry the mantle in the loaded Western Conference, where they have a 62-16 record, an NBA best.
If he wins back-to-back MVPs, he becomes the 14th player to join the exclusive list that includes NBA lore such as LeBron James, Jordan, and Stephen Curry, to name a few. He has a chance to become one of three players to win back-to-back MVPs and Finals MVPs. The others are Jordan and James.
Gilgeous-Alexander has been key to the Thunder’s quest to be the decade’s first repeat champions.