For most of NBA history, the MVP race usually had at least one American star near the top, as US-born players naturally dominate the MVP leaderboard. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has 6 MVPs, Bill Russell has 5, Michael Jordan has 5, too, and LeBron James has won 4 of them.
But that landscape has changed. Over the last four completed seasons, the official top three in MVP voting were Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid, and Giannis Antetokounmpo in 2021-22, then Embiid, Jokic, and Antetokounmpo in 2022-23.
In 2023-24, Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Luka Doncic rounded the top 3, and then Shai, Jokic, and Antetokounmpo were in the 2024-25 mix. Not one of those players was born in the United States.
That trend has not changed this season. In NBA.com’s latest 2025-26 MVP Ladder, the top three are Gilgeous-Alexander, Doncic, and Victor Wembanyama.
Again, no US-born player is in that group, and the drought keeps expanding since Stephen Curry’s 3rd spot in 2020-21.
So this is no longer a one-year quirk or a short-term gap. It is a real five-season stretch in which international players have controlled the top of the MVP race.
The next question is simple: which American star, if any, has the game, numbers, and team success to finally break that streak?
2021-22 MVP Award Voting
Nikola Jokic: 875 points
Joel Embiid: 706 points
Giannis Antetokounmpo: 595 points
2022-23 MVP Award Voting
Joel Embiid: 915 points
Nikola Jokic: 674 points
Giannis Antetokounmpo: 606 points
2023-24 MVP Award Voting
Nikola Jokic: 926 points
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: 640 points
Luka Doncic: 566 points
2024-25 MVP Award Voting
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: 913 points
Nikola Jokic: 787 points
Giannis Antetokounmpo: 470 points
2026 MVP Race Best Candidates
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder
Nikola Jokic, Nuggets
Luka Doncic, Lakers
Victor Wembanyama, Spurs
When Will An American Player Crack The Top 3 In The MVP Race?
It probably will not happen this season. The current top three are still Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luka Doncic, and Victor Wembanyama, with Nikola Jokic right behind them at No. 4. The closest American names on the same ladder are Jaylen Brown at No. 6 and Anthony Edwards at No. 9. That gap is real, and it says a lot about where the race stands right now.
Anthony Edwards feels like the most realistic short-term answer. He is 24, he is already averaging 29.5 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 3.7 assists, and he has the type of scoring profile that can push into an MVP tier if the Timberwolves rise with him. The problem is the usual one.
To crack the top three, it is not enough to score big. The team has to live near the top of the standings, and his Timberwolves squad is currently sitting in the West fifth place rather than in the top two. That is why Edwards looks more like a future threat than a present one.
Jayson Tatum is a different case. In pure talent and résumé, he belongs in this conversation. But this season never gave him a real runway. He made his 2025-26 debut on March 6, 2026, after his Achilles rupture, and his current line sits at 19.1 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists. The Celtics are still the No. 2 seed in the East, so the team context is there. The issue is availability. A healthy full season from Tatum next year would put him back on the serious American candidate list immediately. This year is simply too compromised.
The most interesting long view might already be in Dallas. Cooper Flagg is only a rookie, but he is the favorite to win Rookie of the Year, averaging 20.3 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 4.6 assists with the Mavericks. That does not make him an MVP candidate yet. It does make him the kind of American prospect who can enter that lane faster than most players do. He has size, creation, defensive value, and early production. That is a serious foundation.
Then there is the next wave. Our own draft coverage points to AJ Dybantsa and Darryn Peterson as the top names in the 2026 class, and the race for No. 1 includes Cameron Boozer, also. That is future language, not present language, and it should stay that way. Prospects are not MVP threats until they prove they can carry an NBA offense and drive top-tier winning. Still, if you are asking where the next American MVP push could come from, those are the names scouts already treat seriously.
So the clean answer is this: not now, maybe next year, and Edwards is the best active bet if the Timberwolves climb back again. Tatum has the résumé but needs a healthy season again. Flagg has the highest long-term upside among the young Americans already in the league. Dybantsa and Peterson are the names to monitor after that. The streak will end at some point. It just does not look ready to end in 2025-26.
