03/23/26 11:13:00
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03/23 23:12 CDT Victor Wembanyama wants the MVP award, and wants to leave no
doubt by season's end
Victor Wembanyama wants the MVP award, and wants to leave no doubt by season's
end
By TIM REYNOLDS
AP Basketball Writer
MIAMI (AP) --- Victor Wembanyama is making it clear: He wants to win the NBA's
MVP award this season.
The San Antonio star --- moments after his team officially clinched its first
Southwest Division title in nine seasons --- detailed some elements of his MVP
case on Monday night after the red-hot Spurs beat the Miami Heat 136-111 for
their 22nd win in their last 24 games.
"I have thought about it," Wembanyama said. "I think right now there is a
debate. There should be, even though I think I should lead the race. I'm trying
to make sure that at the end of the season, there's no debate."
Wembanyama is averaging 24.3 points, 11.2 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 3.0 blocked
shots per game. Only six players have finished a season with such numbers ---
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar did it five times, Hakeem Olajuwon did it twice, while
Shaquille O'Neal, Patrick Ewing and David Robinson all did it once. The sixth
player on that list? That would be Wembanyama, who did all that last season as
well, albeit in only 46 games.
The reigning MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder, is the
overwhelming favorite to win the trophy again according to BetMGM Sportsbook.
Next on the BetMGM list: the Los Angeles Lakers' Luka Doncic.
Wembanyama is next, with the third-best odds as of Monday, one spot ahead of
Denver's Nikola Jokic. Everyone else would be considered a significant long
shot for the award at this point, though the NBA's 65-game rule for major award
eligibility --- like MVP --- could become a factor. Jokic can miss only one
more game, for example, before he falls off the ballot and Wembanyama can miss
no more than three more contests.
Wembanyama, who won rookie of the year two years ago and was generally
considered a lock for defensive player of the year last season until he had to
be shut down while dealing with deep vein thrombosis, has a three-part campaign
pitch.
"My first one would be that defense is 50% of the game and that it is
undervalued so far in the MVP race. I believe I'm the most impactful player
defensively in the league," Wembanyama said. "Second argument would be that we
almost swept OKC in the season, and we dominated them three times with their
real team. ... The third argument would be that offense impact is not just
points."
It should not surprise anyone that the Spurs also believe Wembanyama is more
than just an MVP contender.
"I think he's close," Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said. "All those guys you named
are deserving; a couple of them already have that award. And I'm very biased. I
get to see one of those guys every single night. I get to see him on the
practice court. I get to see what he does in the morning. I get to see what
does right now after the game. So, I understand my opinion and outlook and
perspective is very different than almost everyone else.
"But he affects as much of the game in every single way --- on the court, on
both ends, with and without the ball, what the other team tries to do, plan
for, scheme, adjust to, on both sides of the basketball, in my very ignorant
opinion, as much as any other player I've ever seen. Take that for whatever
it's worth."
The Spurs are 54-18. They're going to be the No. 1 or No. 2 seed in the Western
Conference. They'll have home court in Round 1 of the playoffs, Round 2 if they
get there and almost certainly would have it in the NBA Finals if they get that
far. There are a lot of reasons for that, but the biggest reason --- literally,
given that Wembanyama is 7-foot-4 --- is a 22-year-old face of the franchise
who has wowed the Spurs every day with his maturity and work ethic.
The MVPs are almost certainly coming at some point. Wembanyama doesn't want to
keep waiting.
"Right now, it is still reasonable that there is a debate," Wembanyama said.
"But as I said, my goal is to make sure there's no debate anymore at the end of
the season."
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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA
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