As fans prepare for the 2025-26 NBA season, Luka Doncic has emerged as an MVP frontrunner. The award has been Nikola Jokic’s to lose in recent years, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander stole it from him last season.
After leading the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 68-14 record last season and winning the scoring title, Gilgeous-Alexander made a very compelling case.
With +160 odds according to FanDuel, Gilgeous-Alexander is the favorite to win his second MVP in a row. However, after Doncic slimmed down, Jokic got a better supporting cast, and Giannis Antetokounmpo prepared to dominate the East (on an individual level, at least), SGA has taken a bit of a back seat.
He recently threw some shade at Doncic, adding fuel to their emerging rivalry.
GettyOKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA – APRIL 6: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 of the Oklahoma City Thunder drives to the basket around Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers during the second quarter at Paycom Center on April 6, 2025 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by William Purnell/Getty Images)
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Omits Luka Doncic
Doncic had a down season last year, dealing with a calf injury and a midseason trade, but he still averaged 28.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 7.7 assists. For most, those would be career numbers.
Now that Doncic is playing on the (glitzy) Los Angeles Lakers and seems to have gotten in excellent shape, he is expected to once again be in the MVP race.
Gilgeous-Alexander did not include him in his list of the best of the best.
“Nothing against the guys my age, but the guys I can’t wait to match up against are the LeBrons, the Steph Currys, the KDs, the James Hardens,” he declared in an interview with GQ’s Yang-Yi Goh. “The guys I grew up watching, that have completely stamped themselves on basketball forever, that have accomplished the things I want from the game. There’s no better test to see what I’m capable of than going against those guys.”
Doncic, when healthy, is simply a better player than all of the legends SGA listed. He has already “stamped” himself as a legend, with five All-NBA First Team appearances.
However, he doesn’t have a ring or an MVP, so SGA has a leg up that he’s not ready to let go of quite yet.
Luka Doncic Has a Lot to Prove, SGA Does Not
Both drafted in 2018, Doncic and SGA are two of the best players in the world. Doncic dominated right away, becoming the first player to make the All-NBA First Team at 20 years old.
Gilgeous-Alexander didn’t make his first All-Star Game until he was 24, which is still impressive.
While Doncic got off to a hot start, both will likely agree that SGA’s Finals MVP award is the most impressive in their two trophy cases.
The Thunder enter the season as the team to beat, the consensus favorites to win it all. Doncic’s Lakers have the talent to win the title, but until he can show the NBA, not FIBA, that he’s back to being a top-three player in the world, fans will have their doubts.
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