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There’s an ongoing tug of war with the MVP trophy, and it’s not between American vs. American , or even international vs. American.

As of now, the NBA’s most prestigious individual award is firmly in the grasp of international players, and this trend is likely to continue through the 2025-26 season.

The last American winner was in 2018 (James Harden). Since then, the internationals have taken ownership not only of the award but also of the top levels of voting. Last season, for example, the top three vote-getters were internationals: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokić and Giannis Antetokounmpo. The last time an American-born player was a finalist — top three in the voting — was Stephen Curry (third) in 2020-21 .

That suggests dominance and a monopoly.

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