With the NBA Cup concluded for 2025, the New York Knicks have secured the trophy, with star guard Jalen Brunson taking home the Cup MVP award. However, many fans might have questions about the voting process. Does it work the same way as the regular season MVP? Who votes for it? Here’s everything you need to know about the award and its voting process.

How Is the NBA Cup MVP Decided? Know the Process, Selection Method and More

The NBA Cup Most Valuable Player award is awarded at the conclusion of the tournament after the championship game. The selection of the award is based solely on performance during the NBA Cup games, including both the Group stage and the Knockout round.

There is no carryover from regular-season production, just the four games against their group and the three games before hoisting up the trophy.

The voters appointed by the NBA determines both the Cup MVP as well as the All-Tournament Team, and the award skews heavily towards performance, instead of narrative like with the regular season awards.

There is no scoring formula, and voters are asked to consider key factors, including impact on team success during the Cup, production in high-stakes games, consistent performance across the Cup, influence during the Knockout stage.

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In practice, the championship game often acts as a separator. Any player who can dominate on the final night, especially for the winning team, carries a huge advantage, and with the Cup built around urgency, the MVP award reflects that.

The first two Cup MVPs were LeBron James in 2023 and Giannis Antetokounmpo in 2024, and Jalen Brunson now joins that elite group of players. Notably, Antetokounmpo is also the only player to make the All-Tournament team twice, and here’s how the voters are selected.

What Is the Eligibility Criteria for the Voters? Everything About Them

The voters for the NBA Cup MVP and the All-Tournament team are selected by the NBA league offices, coming from a pool of credentialed media members covering the NBA and the Cup specifically.

These typically include national and international reporters, as well as broadcasters and analysts assigned to Cup coverage, along with multiple votes reserved for fans. Here’s the specifics: 20 media members were a part of the vote, as well as five votes counted based on voting via the NBA’s vote-collecting outlets, i.e. the NBA app and website.

Here’s the list of voters selected this year:

• Sam Amick (The Athletic)
• Jason Beede (Orlando Sentinel)
• Tim Bontemps (ESPN)
• Doris Burke (ESPN Radio)
• PJ Carlesimo (ESPN Radio)
• Mike Finger (San Antonio Express-Radio)
• Vince Goodwill (ESPN.com)
• Chris Haynes (NBA TV)
• Kurt Helin (NBC Sports)
• Cassidy Hubbarth (NBA on Prime)
• Tim MacMahon (ESPN.com)
• Steve McGehee (News 9)
• Rachel Nichols (Fox Sports)
• Steve Popper (Newsday)
• Shaun Powell (NBA.com)
• Tim Reynolds (Associated Press)
• Taylor Rooks (NBA on Prime)
• Simone Sandri (La Gazzetta dello Sport)
• Marc Spears (Andscape)
• Joe Vardon (The Athletic)

In the final vote this year, Jalen Brunson lead the votes by a wide margin, accounting for 19 of the 20 media votes with McGehee voting for OG Anunoby instead, who had a standout Cup Finals performance with 28 points, nine rebounds, and three assists against the Spurs.

Out of the fan votes, Victor Wembanyama earned three in the losing effort, with the other two also going Brunson’s way. For now, all that’s left is to wait for the All-Tournament teams.