Inside the Epic Rivalry Shaping the 2026 NBA MVP Race: Assassin or Alien?

This has been, without a doubt, the most thrilling and most difficult choice I have ever had to make for NBA MVP in my 10 seasons as a voter. It’s come down to a question I’ve never really had to answer on a ballot before: How much do you trust what the box score won’t tell you? One of these guys carries his team in the most visible way the sport allows. The other carries it in ways the box score doesn’t have language for.

The case for SGA: He was even better than last year

SGA averaged 31.6 points on a 66.5% true shooting mark, the second-most efficient season any 30-point scorer has ever had, trailing only the 2015-16 Steph Curry year that broke people’s brains. He did it while defending a title. While absorbing every opponent’s best shot. While leading a roster where nine rotation players missed at least 10 games, including his co-pilot, Jalen Williams, who missed more than half the year. Young core, deep playoff run, roster churn, bad injury luck. The Thunder had every ingredient of a hangover team. SGA did not let the year get away from them.