Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Finishes the Season on Top of the MVP Ladder
The race for the Kia MVP is over, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is taking home the hardware. After a thrilling back-and-forth battle throughout the 2025-26 season, SGA edges out Victor Wembanyama and Nikola Jokic to claim the top spot on the final MVP Ladder.
SGA Holds Off the Competition
It came down to the wire. Wembanyama and Jokic pushed hard all season long, but Gilgeous-Alexander's consistency and overall impact proved too much to overcome. The MVP Ladder tracker showed how tight the top five stayed throughout the year, with multiple candidates making runs at the crown. But when the dust settled, SGA's season stood above the rest.
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This wasn't a coronation. The 2025-26 season marked a thrilling race that kept fans and analysts debating right up until the final buzzer of the regular season. Shaun Powell and the NBA.com writers broke down what made this MVP race so compelling, and the numbers backed up every contender's case. Multiple candidates could have made a legitimate claim to the award, but only one could finish at number one.
As the playoffs tip off and teams battle for championship glory, Gilgeous-Alexander carries the MVP crown into the postseason. The Play-In Tournament tips off tonight with the Hornets vs. Magic at 7:30 p.m. ET and the Warriors vs. Suns at 10 p.m. ET on Prime Video, setting the stage for the first-round matchups that will follow.
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