We are often conditioned to think of elite athletes as simply being blessed with an innate talent, a skillset perhaps, that separates them from the rest of us. That is, of course, partly true, but in the majority of cases, the athlete’s mindset is what separates them from the mediocre. Yes, innate talent counts, but legendary stars like Cristiano Ronaldo, LeBron James, and Tom Brady have an almost pathological desire to win.
While basketball players will want their team to win the Championship, on a personal level, the MVP award is the accolade they desire. It is, in essence, the recognition of standing out among their peers. As this 2025/26 NBA season starts to heat up, we look at the six players currently in the running to be named the MVP:
Shai Gilgeous Alexander – Oklahoma City Thunder
Last season’s MVP is once again the favorite to be crowned again in this campaign. There is a sense of the juggernaut about SGA and OKC, consensus favorites to retain the NBA Championship. It’s never a given in sports, of course, but barring injury, it feels like SGA is relentlessly hurtling toward becoming the face of the NBA. Lest we forget, he’s Canadian, and he’s on course to be considered the greatest ever baller from north of the border.
Nikola Jokic – Denver Nuggets
The perennial MVP candidate, Jokic is just so consistently excellent that one tends to overlook how good he is. That said, his fortunes are often tied to the overall performance of the Nuggets. Denver looks like it might be OKC’s closest challenger this season, so we have a thrilling narrative of Jokic vs. SGA for the title of the NBA’s best players leading the best team.
Luka Doncic – Los Angeles Lakers
Like his fellow Serbian, Doncic’s consistent excellence is so consistent. However, his form dipped a little bit last season, particularly due to the Mavs’ travails. Nevertheless, he has hit the ground running since his move to Los Angeles. In fact, he is right up there with in DraftKings’ MVP NBA betting odds with the two men above him on this list. Much will depend on how the Lakers complement their new star man, but there is a sense of momentum building.
Cade Cunningham – Detroit Pistons
The first name on this list that might feel surprised to find themselves on it. Cunningham was an All-Star last season, so it is not as if he has come from nowhere, but he is clearly growing into a top-tier player. His stats improved across nearly every metric last season, and he is in good shape to improve again this season. He’s arguably been the best player in the Eastern Conference so far this season. He’s a long shot in the NBA MVP betting right now, but stranger things have happened.
Tyrese Maxey – Philadelphia 76ers
“Mad Max” is an inspiration for any player struggling with criticism of mediocrity, showing how hard work and focus can pay off. He was named the NBA’s Most Improved Player in 2023-2024, and now he is firmly in the equation of the best-performing players in the league. His all-around game – points-scoring and assists – is really coming together, and we would not be surprised to see Maxey tagged as the Sixers franchise player.
Victor Wembanyama – San Antonio Spurs
The future face of the NBA globally? The young Frenchman has taken the NBA by storm, now considered a truly elite player in just his 3rd season and at age 21. The MVP award is probably just out of reach this season, but it would probably be one of the biggest shocks if he doesn’t get it at least once in his career. Our only concern is that he does tend to pick up injuries here and there, which sometimes feels like it halts his incredible momentum.
