The NBA Playoffs are entering their final stages before the NBA Finals, meaning it's time for teams to dig deep and win four more games to advance. This stage of the postseason also signals the announcement of season awards, which recognize players who have endured the grueling 82-game schedule.
Nikola Jokic has been dominant in recent MVP races, and this season was no different. After another stellar year, he was once again in the running. Widely considered one of the most skilled players in the league, Jokic finished second in the voting, with the Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander taking home the award. Gilgeous-Alexander appeared nearly speechless upon receiving the honor.
“Any conversation, when it’s particularly (Durant and Westbrook) but guys who get this award, is hard to even wrap your head around,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “Those guys have done amazing things with the game, changed the game in ways you couldn’t see coming. To even be in the same breath, it’s hard to even put into words.”
Gilgeous-Alexander's win marks the seventh consecutive year that an international player has earned MVP honors. Analyst Jay Williams believes this trend reflects a broader issue with the state of American basketball.
“I think it speaks more about how comfortable and complacent American players have become,” Williams said.
He went even further, suggesting that coaches feel increasingly limited in how they can develop American talent, fearing backlash.
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“How much of this do you think is cancel culture…I hear a lot of coaches talk about they don’t feel like they can coach young kids anymore. Cause anything they say could get used against them,” Williams added.
There is a clear evolution underway, with international players emerging as some of the league’s brightest stars. While many young American players are undoubtedly talented, the mindset and approach to the game appear to be shifting — and that shift may be working against them. In contrast, international players often arrive in the NBA with a different, perhaps more focused, mentality that has helped them thrive.