Luka Doncic is one of those players who, despite only being 26 years old, feels due for an NBA MVP in his career. 2024-25 was never going to be his season due to the 65-game rule, and other obvious factors. This campaign belonged to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Breaking: Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has won the NBA MVP award, sources tell ESPN.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 21, 2025
Shams Charania broke the news on Twitter/X today that the Oklahoma City Thunder superstar will be claiming this year's NBA MVP trophy. It is the first MVP of Gilgeous-Alexander's young and promising career.
In winning the award, Gilgeous-Alexander upheld a key trend around the presitgious individual honor. It was one that the Los Angeles Lakers and their fans will hope Doncic continues in 2025-26.
MVP continues to go international, setting the stage for Doncic
Keerthika Uthayakumar pointed out Twitter/X the pattern that has followed the NBA MVP award of late. The winners keep coming from outside of the United States of America.
He's the seventh non-American MVP in NBA history, joining Olajuwon, Nash, Dirk, Antetokounmpo, Jokic & Embiid.
— Keerthika Uthayakumar (@keerthikau) May 21, 2025
A US-born player hasn't won MVP since James Harden in 2018.
As pointed out above, James Harden was the last American to win it. Since then, Giannis Antetokounmpo claimed it twice. Nikola Jokic followed that up with back-to-back victories of his own.
Joel Embiid broke up a potential three-peat in 2022-23 before Jokic regained the award in the following season. Gilgeous-Alexander, a Canadian, now continues the trend in the 2024-25 campaign.
Are American Superstars washed? We haven’t won an MVP since last decade. pic.twitter.com/FefABRXEw7
— Kirk Goldsberry (@kirkgoldsberry) May 21, 2025
An asterisk could perhaps be placed beside Embiid's name, seeing as he competed for Team USA in the last Olympics. However, most would still conclude that qualifies.
This trophy is likely to stay international with names like Jokic, Gilgeous-Alexander, and Antetokounmpo expected to be in the mix again next season. French phenom Victor Wembanyama should not be too far behind either.
Lakers fans will hope after an offseason of retooling and an opportunity for Doncic to get back up to speed following an injury-riddled season, the Slovenian superstar will be back in the NBA MVP race as well. Expecting a top five player in the world to perform at that level is more than fair.
The closest Doncic came to an MVP trophy was the 2023-24 season with the Dallas Mavericks. The superstar point guard posted the highest cumulative points, rebounds, and assists per game average since the NBA-ABA merger in 1976. It was only good enough to place him third in that year's race.
The massive media spotlight in Los Angeles should help Doncic's potential MVP case in 2025-26. An elite campaign will not be undervalued in Hollywood. That is certain.