And Greek It is crowned MVP of the season in the NBA … a Serbia wins the best player of the season at the NBA … a Cameroonian He is proclaimed best player of the NBA season … a Canadian It is raised as MVP of the season in the NBA … read like this, could be the beginning of a joke And if someone had occurred to someone, something like this has been predicting more than a decade They would have taken a joke.
But The times have changed and what would be a chimera in other times has actually become. The choice of Shai Gilgeous-AlexandeR (Thunder) comes to confirm that The United States has lost the hegemony of the NBA before the foreign legion. For seventh consecutive season the MVP of the season, considered the best player in the world, is not American. The joke has become a heavy joke for the pride of the absolute inventors and dominators of this sport.
What seemed impossible has come true
Historically, NBA has been a championship dominated by American players. They have led the majority of the most important statistics and have monopolized the game and prominence of a tournament made as it has expanded at the planetary level propelled by its Great legendsmyths wrapped in the flag of the bars and stars installed on a pedestal that It seemed unattainable for the rest of the mortals … but that ended.
Antetokounmpo, Shai and Jokic were this year's MVP aspiring finalists.
What seemed impossible for years has happened: the United States has lost its supremacy in the NBA before a legion of international players increasingly thriving and preponderant in the competition. A growing trend that has accentuated in the last 20 years with The massive influx of foreign superstars that have been monopolizing the spotlights and the main distinctions of the competitiondisplacing the American figures to the background.
No American wins the MVP … since 2018!
The most patario example of this sorpasso is that The last seven MVP (most valuable player of the season) have been international players. It was The GreekGiannis antetokounmpo (Bucks) In 2019 and 2020, it happened on the throne The SerbianNikola Jokic (Nuggets) in 2021 and 2022. Cameroon Joel Embiid (Sixers) was distinguished with that nomination in 2023, Nikola Jokic repeated again in 2024, and Canadian Shai Gilgeous-AlexandeR (Thunder) has taken over this campaign. The NBA has not had an American MVP since 2018, when James Harden (Rockets) won the prize.
Seven internationals have been MVP in 70 years
1994: Hakeem Olajuwon
2005 and 2006: Steve Nash (Canada)
2007: Dirk Nowitzki (Germany)
2029 and 2020: Giannis Antetokounmpo (Greece)
2021, 2022 y 2024: Nikola Jokic (Serbia)
2023: Joel Embiid (Cameroon)
2025: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Canada)
To value the draft of this revolution, it is enough to point out that In the 70 years of existence of this award, which was created in the 1955-56 campaign, only in 11 has fallen to players not born in the United Statesand the last seven seasons consecutively. Only Seven international players have held that honor And they had to spend 38 years to see the first, the Pvote Nigerian Hakeem Olajuwon in 1994. Then the Canadian did Steve In (2005 and 2006), the German Dirk Nowitzki (2007), those mentioned Antetokounmpo, Embiid y Jokicand this campaign Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Internationals send at points and rebounds
The MVP is not the only award that denotes the growing preponderance of non -American players in the NBA. You just have to take a look at the most significant statistics To realize it. The three top scorers of this season have been foreigners: Shai (32.7), Antetokounmpo (30.4) and Jokic (29.6). The room could have been Slovenian Luka Doncic (28,2), but due to its injuries it did not reach 58 regular season games that set the NBA to be included in any statistical classification. He stayed at 50.
The Lithuian Domantas Sabonis, maximum rebounder of the season, celebrates a basket.
Y In rebounds the international domain is impressive. The four best of this season have been international: Lithuanian Domantas Sabonis (13.9), the Dominican Karl Anthony-Towns (12.8), the Serbian Nikola Jokic (12.7) and Croatian Ivica Zubac (12,6). Niingún American in that top-4. And in Assistance The omnipresent Jokic It has been second (10,2).
Foreign players in the top of the draft
And that presence of international players It is also verifiable and remarkable in the NBA draft in which every year the teams choose the best young projects, among which The presence of foreign players in the first position is increasingly commons. Up to 13 players not born in the United States were chosen with number 1 of the Draft.
Numbers 1 of the draft not born in the US
1978 Michal Thompson (Bahamas)
1984 Hakeem Olajuon
1998 Michael Olowokandi (Nigeria)
2002 Yao Ming (China)
2005 Andrew Bogut (Australia)
2006 Andrea Bargnani (Italy)
2011 Kyrie Irving (Australia)
2013 Anthony Bennett (Canada)
2014 Andrew Wiggins (Canadá)
2016 Ben Simmons (Australia)
2018 DeAndre Ayton (Bahamas)
2023 Victor Wembanyama (Francia)
Last campaign The first two chosen in the NBA draft were French: Zacharie Risacher chosen with number one by Atlanta Hawks and Alex Sarrwith number two for the Washington Wizards. And in 2023 he preceded them on the throne Another Frenchman, the giant Victor Wembanyamanumber 1 by San Antonio Spurs. This year, except capital surprise, that trend will break when The Mavericks choose Cooper Flagg as number 1.
