The NBA’s international growth has been at an all-time high in the last decade. Basketball is played all over the world and the game continues to expand.
On Wednesday afternoon, Oklahoma City’s Shy Gilgauss Alexander was named the 2024-25 MVP. SGA is Canada-born and is the seventh consecutive international league MVP. That raises the question: which American player is most likely to become the NBA’s next MVP?
When will the next American-born player win the NBA MVP?
There has been no US NBA MVP since James Harden (2018). 😳
2025: SGA🇨🇦
2024: Jokic🇷🇸
2023: Envido🇨🇲
2022: Jokic🇷🇸
2021: Jokic🇷🇸
2020: Giannis🇬🇷
2019: Giannis🇬🇷 pic.twitter.com/baslpovpgg– Tatum Rises (@tatumrises) May 21, 2025
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was named the 2024-25 NBA MVP on Wednesday afternoon. He became the seventh consecutive international player to win the award. The last American to win the NBA MVP was James Harden against Houston in the 2017-18 season. Since then, Nicola Jokic has won three times (2021, 2022, 2024), Giannis Antetocomo in 2023 (2019 and 2020), Joel Embiid and SGA in 2025.
2024-25 Vote for the NBA MVP, Jason Tatum received the most votes among American players. He won fifth place votes with 11th and 84th place votes, totaling 311 votes. This was the fourth vote for any player in the NBA MVP poll. The top three finishers this season were all international players. Jason Tatum plays in the strong basketball market and is an NBA superstar. He is producing league MVP. Can he put it all together and have a season worthy of an MVP? Tatum is currently fourth in the MVP voting twice.
Another American player with a real chance to win the NBA MVP is Anthony Edwards. He was only 23 years old and had been a polarizing figure for years. As the older generation begins to retire, Edwards will become the face of the NBA and have a chance to win the MVP. LeBron James, Steph Curry and Kevin Durant will be gone in a few years. It’s a chance to take over the Edwards league and become an MVP candidate every year.