The Assassin vs. The Alien: My 2026 NBA MVP vote
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander should have the easiest MVP case. Except, there’s a guy by the name of Victor Wembanyama.
It should have been the easiest MVP decision in years. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the reigning MVP and Finals MVP, and he’s even better this season. He is the best player on the best team, and he has been that for the entire season from the Thunder's absurd 24-1 start all the way to a 64-18 finish to hold on to the top seed.
The case for Shai to win a second-straight MVP should be the cleanest, most boring, most airtight argument in basketball. Best player, best team, historic consistency, game winners, defending champion. Pencils down.
Go home. Except, there’s a guy by the name of Victor Wembanyama. On the night of March 30, SGA had one of his most memorable games of his entire dominant season.
He scored 47 points, including 31 in the second half and in overtime to beat the Pistons. But hours earlier, Wemby had 41 points with 16 rebounds in 31 minutes, shooting 17-of-27, while swatting three shots. It was his first of consecutive 40-point double-doubles — the first player in Spurs history to pull that off, a franchise whose annals include David Robinson and some guy named Tim Duncan.
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