Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was awarded the NBA MVP for the second consecutive year, surpassing finalists Victor Wembanyama and Nikola Jokić, as his Oklahoma City Thunder prepare to face Wembanyama’s San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference finals. This award continues an eight-season MVP drought for American-born players, with Gilgeous-Alexander and the other finalists being international players. The last U.S.-born MVP was James Harden in 2018, and the trend of international dominance in the MVP race appears likely to continue. Cade Cunningham and Jaylen Brown were the top U.S. players in the voting, but significant improvements will be needed for any American to contend for the MVP in the near future.
