Victor Wembanyama has been named a finalist for the NBA’s Most Valuable Player award, joining reigning champion Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and three-time winner Nikola Jokic in what many are calling one of the tightest three-way MVP races in recent memory.
The league announced the finalists for all individual awards on Sunday night, with the MVP shortlist headlining a remarkable collection of battles across every major category.
Gilgeous-Alexander averaged more than 30 points per game this season and led Oklahoma City to the Western Conference’s top seed and the best record in the league at 64-18. He is seeking to become the 14th player to earn back-to-back MVPs.
Wembanyama, 22, has been the driving force behind San Antonio’s first playoff run since 2019, averaging a career-high 25 points per game alongside a league-best 3.1 blocks.
Jokic, meanwhile, posted averages of 27.7 points, 12.9 rebounds and 10.7 assists, becoming the first player in NBA history to lead the league in both rebounds and assists in the same season.
Wembanyama favourite for DPOTY
The Spurs star is not done there. Wembanyama is also the favourite to claim the Defensive Player of the Year award, having led the NBA in blocked shots per game for the third consecutive season.
His fellow finalists are Oklahoma City’s Chet Holmgren and Detroit’s Ausar Thompson, who led the league in steals.
Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel and VJ Edgecombe make up the Rookie of the Year finalists. Flagg averaged 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists across 70 games and became the youngest player in NBA history to post both a 40-point and a 50-point game.
Luka Doncic and Cade Cunningham were both granted exceptions by the league under its extraordinary circumstances clause, making them eligible for awards despite falling short of the 65-game minimum. Neither cracked the top three in MVP voting, but both are in line for All-NBA recognition.
Coach of the Year candidates
Detroit’s J.B. Bickerstaff, San Antonio’s Mitch Johnson and Boston’s Joe Mazzulla make up the Coach of the Year finalists. All three have guided their sides to strong campaigns this season, with Johnson’s work in San Antonio particularly notable given the Spurs’ return to the playoffs.
The Clutch Player of the Year shortlist features Gilgeous-Alexander alongside Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards and Denver’s Jamal Murray. Gilgeous-Alexander scored 175 points in clutch situations across the season.
Award winners will be announced throughout the coming week, with the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year, Clutch Player of the Year and Sixth Man of the Year all set to be revealed in the next three days.
