Who will be the next American to win NBA MVP? The candidates, the criteria and the Wemby factor
The NBA has not seen an American MVP since 2018, raising questions about the future of American players in this role. With aging stars like LeBron James and Stephen Curry nearing retirement, the emergence of Victor Wembanyama could shift the landscape. However, historical trends suggest that winning the MVP is not guaranteed, even for the most talented players.
- ▪The last American-born MVP was James Harden in 2018.
- ▪Victor Wembanyama, a promising talent, may be the next American MVP but faces challenges like the 65-game rule.
- ▪Historically, no player has been a guaranteed MVP winner, with factors like voter fatigue and team circumstances influencing the outcome.
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Who will be the next American to win NBA MVP? The candidates, the criteria and the Wemby factor There's a chance we could soon have an NBA without any active American-born MVPs... so who's the best bet to change that? By Sam Quinn May 19, 2026 at 1:43 pm ET • 8 min read Imagn Images By now, you've likely heard the often-repeated fact that the NBA has not had an American MVP since James Harden in 2018. Since then, Giannis Antetokounmpo (Greece) has won twice, Nikola Jokić (Serbia) has won three times, Joel Embiid (Cameroon) won once, and in the past two seasons, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Canada) has picked up back-to-back trophies.
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