The first week of the 2025-2026 NBA season has just ended. In early two or three games, several players showed their quality in the race for MVP. Who are the strongest candidates at the moment?
New kid on top of the ladder
NBA.com has just released the MVP leaderboard after the first week ended. Victor Wembanyama from the San Antonio Spurs came in first place. The 21-year-old French prodigy has been dominant, with an average of 31.0 PPG, 13.8 RPG, and 2.8 APG.
He also helped the team going 4-0 without any single defeat. As a result, San Antonio Spurs sit as the number two in the Western Conference. Young core players such as Stephon Castle, Dylan Harper, and Keldon Johnson also keep the team’s chemistry high.
Wembanyama’s stellar performance in the early week has made the media focus on him. High expectations such as MVP, DPOY, and playoff’s deep run are on his back. Entering his third year, his performance is now seen getting better and more consistent.
”At 7’5, can shoot 3-pointers, crossover, dominate the paint, and block shots, Wembanyama surely has the potential to do it all.”
The Greek Freak comes second
If there is a fresh faces in MVP talks, then there’s also a familiar one. That’s Giannis Antetokounmpo, two-time NBA MVP, who also had a monster performance start of the season. In four games, Giannis averaging 36.3 PPG, 14.0 RPG, and 7.0 APG.
His video game numbers put him at number two on the Kia Race To NBA MVP ladder. Statistically, ‘The Greek Freak’ is number two in PPG, three in RPG, and five in APG in the league. Remember, Giannis has been performing at this level for the past five to six years.
A few names catching up
Apart from those two names, several other players are also chasing down the ladder. Superstars such as Luka Dončić, Tyrese Maxey, and Nikola Jokic cannot be overlooked, seeing their recent displays. All of them brought their teams perform well in the first week.
Don’t forget the reigning MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who has led the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 5-0 start this season. Shai is averaging 34.8 PPG, 6.2 RPG, and 5.4 APG. The 27-year-old superstar also recorded his career-high 55 points against Indiana Pacers recently.
”Who do you think will be this year’s Kia NBA MVP?”
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