By The NBA has officially announced the three finalists for each of its seven major individual awards for the 2024–25 regular season, with Nikola Jokic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander topping the list for the league’s Most Valuable Player.
Jokic, already a three-time MVP, is chasing history. If he wins again, he’ll join the legendary LeBron James and Bill Russell as one of just three players to win four MVPs in five seasons. He’s also on track to finish in the top two of MVP voting for the fifth straight year — a feat last achieved by Larry Bird from 1981 to 1986.
Jokic’s stats speak volumes. The Denver Nuggets center averaged 29.6 points, 12.7 rebounds, and 10.2 assists this season, becoming only the third player in NBA history to average a triple-double over an entire season — joining icons Russell Westbrook and Oscar Robertson.
But standing in Jokic’s way is Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who led the NBA in scoring with 32.7 points per game. His electric performances helped the Thunder clinch a franchise-record 68 wins, the highest in the league since the Golden State Warriors’ historic 73-win season in 2016.
Gilgeous-Alexander also topped ESPN’s MVP straw poll in the final two rounds, signaling strong support from media members as voting concluded.
With both superstars putting up legendary numbers and leading top-seeded teams, the 2025 MVP race is shaping up to be one of the most competitive and compelling in years.
