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OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA - JANUARY 13: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 of the Oklahoma City Thunder handles the ball in front of Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs during the first half at Paycom Center on January 13, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Joshua Gateley/Getty Images)

After weeks of anticipation, the NBA is set to announce the winner of its most prestigious individual award of the regular season. 

The Most Valuable Player of the season will be announced on Sunday. The three finalists are Oklahoma City Thunder star and last year’s MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Denver Nuggets star and three-time MVP winner Nikola Jokic, and San Antonio Spurs French sensation Victor Wembanyama.

“No matter who wins, it’ll be the eighth consecutive season in which a player who was born outside the U.S. takes the MVP trophy,” the Associated Press stated. 

The last American-born player to win the award was James Harden of the Houston Rockets in the 2017-18 season. Since then, the honor has gone to international stars from Giannis Antetokounmpo who won it twice to Jokic, to Joel Embiid who has since represented the U.S. internationally, and Gilgeous-Alexander last season.

A NBA MVP Winner Already in Sights?

Update: Oklahoma City Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been named 2025-26 Kia NBA MVP. Congratulations, Shai!

Gilgeous-Alexander has long been touted as the favorite. The Thunder star led the MVP ladder for the majority of the season and led his team to the overall best record in the league. 

Not just what Gilgeous-Alexander did, the MVP announcement scenario this year mirrors that of last year as well.

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“The scheduling of the announcement could be a hint that Gilgeous-Alexander might be the winner, because it would have the same timeframe as last year’s MVP reveal. In 2025, Gilgeous-Alexander was announced as the winner on May 21, and he was formally presented with the trophy before Game 2 of the West finals in Oklahoma City on May 22,” the AP added.

A win for Gilgeous-Alexander would mean back-to-back MVP titles. However, this one would be special considering the strong cases for other candidates.

This year’s race to the Michael Jordan award has been a compelling one, a case could be made that it was the most competitive in recent memory. There wasn’t really a clear favorite especially when Wembanyama overtook Gilgeous-Alexander to the top of the ladder. 

Wembanyama is aiming to become the first French-born player to win the MVP award. The 22-year-old center is making his first appearance as an MVP finalist in just his third season. He averaged 25.0 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and a league-leading 3.1 blocks per game this season.

Wembanyama has already had an individual honor to his belt this season having been named Defensive Player of the Year. 

For Jokic, he is aiming to join legends Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan, Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain (four), and LeBron James as the only players to win at least four MVPs. The Serbian superstar also made a strong case with his all-around dominance. He led the league in both assists and rebounds per game, the first time it has been done in the NBA.

One memorable mention in the race included Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic who soared to a top-three spot but dropped down. An injury late in the season didn’t help his case further. 

A New Announcement Format 

GettyShai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 of the Oklahoma City Thunder accepts the MVP Michael Jordan Trophy prior to a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game Two of the Western Conference Finals of the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Paycom Center on May 22, 2025 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

Fans will have to get used to the new format of announcing the MVP this late. The league made a decision to announce major awards during the postseason and it will most likely become the new normal. 

There have been questions on this approach, especially how it is a regular-season award and the postseason performances might have some sort of influence on the voting process.

Two of the finalists will meet on Monday in the Western Conference Finals Game 1. The OKC hosts San Antonio and the headline pending the announcement of the MVP winner will center around Gilgeous-Alexander and Wembanyama.