NEW YORK, May 17, 2026, 10:06 EDT
- Prime Video is set to air the NBA’s 2025-26 Most Valuable Player announcement at 7:30 p.m. ET. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokić, and Victor Wembanyama make up this season’s finalists.
- Just a day ahead of Oklahoma City’s Western Conference finals tipoff against San Antonio, the reveal puts both Gilgeous-Alexander and Wembanyama under the playoff spotlight.
- The MVP streak for players born outside the U.S. is set to hit eight seasons, no matter who takes the award.
Sunday night, the NBA plans to name its 2025-26 Kia Most Valuable Player, narrowing the field to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, last year’s winner, three-time MVP Nikola Jokić, and Victor Wembanyama, who’s made his first appearance as a finalist. The announcement, set for 7:30 p.m. ET on Prime Video, was confirmed by the league.
The award drops just as Oklahoma City’s Gilgeous-Alexander and San Antonio’s Wembanyama get set to open the Western Conference finals Monday in Oklahoma City. It becomes another talking point as the West’s top two seeds clash.
The timing lands right ahead of another playoff showdown. Detroit faces Cleveland in Game 7 of their Eastern Conference semifinal, tipping off at 8 p.m. ET on Prime Video. That gives the league a slim national spotlight to wrap up its big award reveals before the conference finals arrive.
Gilgeous-Alexander put up 31.1 points, 6.6 assists, and 4.3 rebounds per game, shooting 55.3% from the floor. The Thunder guard, whose case stands out for its clarity, helped Oklahoma City reach a league-best 64 wins, according to Hoops Rumors.
Before the results came out, the NBA.com panel was already tilting in that direction. Steve Aschburner pointed to “winning matters,” Brian Martin liked Gilgeous-Alexander’s late-game heroics and Oklahoma City’s numbers, and Shaun Powell highlighted the guard’s eye-popping efficiency and scoring. NBA
Jokić isn’t easy to write off. The Denver big man put up 27.7 points, 12.9 boards, and 10.7 assists per game—good for a triple-double. According to NBA.com’s Powell, that made Jokić the first ever to top the league in both rebounds and assists for a single season.
Jokić grabbing a fourth MVP would tie him with LeBron James and Wilt Chamberlain, matching their spot in the record books. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar sits at the top with six, and both Michael Jordan and Bill Russell own five apiece, according to Sports Illustrated.
Wembanyama is offering voters perhaps the clearest two-way case out there. The Spurs center put up 25.0 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 3.1 blocks per game, picked up Defensive Player of the Year honors, and, per league and team coverage, could become the first French player to claim MVP.
It’s a tight race, but high stakes all around: Gilgeous-Alexander has a shot at going back-to-back as MVP, a feat last pulled off by Jokić in 2021 and 2022. Jokić himself is pushing for even loftier historical status. Then there’s Wembanyama—he could make his first nod count in a huge way, potentially landing a franchise-altering award before even matching up with the Thunder.
Still, there’s a catch to the league’s tidy narrative: the actual vote could diverge from what plays out on TV. Gilgeous-Alexander’s numbers and efficiency stand out, Jokić brings an all-time stat sheet, Wembanyama’s defense speaks for itself. The NBA, for now, has only named the finalists and set a reveal time—vote totals remain under wraps.
Whoever takes home the award will keep the international run alive—Giannis Antetokounmpo kicked it off in 2019. According to The Associated Press, it’s been seven years since a U.S.-born player last won, with Antetokounmpo, Jokić, Joel Embiid, and Gilgeous-Alexander all extending that streak. This Sunday guarantees an eighth straight year, as every finalist is from outside the U.S.
