The first two months of the 2025-26 season showed everyone a glimpse of what could’ve gone down as one of the best MVP races of all-time. The Denver Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic and Oklahoma City Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander were neck and neck up until Monday, when the Joker suffered a devastating knee injury that will see him miss at least four weeks, handing SGA an opportunity of a lifetime.

“If Jokic gets disqualified, there’s zero reason why SGA shouldn’t be a unanimous MVP,” NBA insider Clemente Almanza opined on X. “A 1st-place vote for any other player would be out of pure spite and pettiness.”

Jokic could be disqualified, given that he’s set to miss about 18 games. It would put him at risk of failing to meet the 65-game criteria to be eligible for the MVP, DPOY, and All-NBA race. In that case, one would assume SGA, who’s having a big season, should be the clear favorite.

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In fact, not just the favorite, Almanza pointed out that the reigning MVP should be crowned the unanimous MVP this season, a feat neither LeBron James nor Michael Jordan achieved despite their illustrious careers.

The last and only other time an NBA star received all first-place votes as the league’s best player was in the 2015-16 season, when Stephen Curry won the award. It was the Golden State Warriors’ 73-9 season, and Curry had a revolutionary campaign with a record-shattering 420 3-point shots.

Before Curry, only two players, James and Shaquille O’Neal, came within a single vote of the unanimous MVP tag. The Chosen One and his 2013 season with the Miami Heat, when he received 120 votes, but a single voter chose Carmelo Anthony, who had led the league in scoring and was with the New York Knicks.

There’s no doubt that Gilgeous-Alexander has been playing at an elite level this season, but is it enough to win the MVP title unanimously? That’s complicated. But he does have a shot, to be honest. After all, the point guard averages 32.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 6.4 assists off 55.9% shooting from the field.

Gilgeous-Alexander has been extremely efficient this season and is a huge reason the Thunder are currently atop the Western Conference with a league-best 28-5 record. But the season is still young, and to win the honor, he’ll have to continue playing at this level. Still, there’s a chance he might not make it.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander faces tough competition for MVP honors

Although Almanza pointed out that the only reason Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander could miss out on the MVP award is pettiness, that’s not true. While the point guard has been playing at a high level, so have a couple of other stars who might snatch the title away from him.

One of them is Luka Doncic, whom the Lakers Nation has urged to step up his game in Jokic’s absence. The Purple and Gold star is currently among the top contenders. Meanwhile, another is Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is also performing at the same level.

By looking at these stats, you can tell how neck and neck the competition actually is. A noteworthy mention to Victor Wembanyama, who was in the race early, but he’s most likely out of it due to injury concerns. Now, whether SGA wins it or someone else, only time will tell. And if Jokic makes his return in time, he might turn the tables again.