Shai Gilgeous-Alexander reclaims top spot from Victor Vembanyama

The 2025-26 NBA season began with Victor Wembanyama is winning NBA fans around the world with his dazzling performances and two-way game to elevate San Antonio Spurs. While Wemby is still very much in the MVP race through the first three weeks of the season, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander reminds everyone why he is the reigning MVP.

There’s always a sense of voter fatigue surrounding the NBA MVP award. People get tired of voting for the same player over and over again, which is why they often gravitate to a new, shiny name instead of someone who has essentially earned the award multiple times.

Take Michael Jordan, for example. MJ was the league’s best player virtually every year he played, but was named league MVP only five times in 15 years.

After voters seemed to move on from Nikola JokicBecause of his historic numbers in recent years, many are wondering if Gilgeous-Alexander will be overlooked during the 2025-26 season. Oklahoma City Thunder‘s Championship.

While some may still view Wembey and others as favorites in the MVP race, there’s no debating why Gilgeous-Alexander has the No. 1 spot back after three weeks.

The Thunder are currently 10-1and they are on pace to break the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors record of 73 wins in a single season.

Whether or not Gilgeous-Alexander can lead Oklahoma City to this virtually untouchable record remains to be seen, but they definitely have a great chance to get close as he has taken his game to new heights.

Even without Jalen Williams on the floor next to him and after winning his first MVP award, Gilgeous-Alexander has firmly cemented himself as the best player in the NBA right now. That’s why his team is 10-1, and that’s why SGA ranks first in the NBA MVP rankings.

1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – Oklahoma City Thunder

Previous rank: #3

2025-26 Stats: 11 games, 33.2 points, 6.0 assists, 5.2 rebounds, 1.1 steals, 1.1 blocks, 52.1 FG%, 34.8 3P%

In the Thunder’s first 11 games of the season, Gilgeous-Alexander had 10 games of at least 30 points, including his career-high 55-point performance against the Indiana Pacers in his second game of the season.

SGA’s streak of seven straight 30-point games is very impressive, as is the fact that he’s shooting over 50 percent from the floor while attempting nearly 22 shots per game. Gilgeous-Alexander is the leader of the best team in the NBA, and is currently aiming for the virtually untouchable record set by Wilt Chamberlain.

Gilgeous-Alexander has scored at least 20 points in 83 consecutive games the third longest streak in NBA history. Wilt Chamberlain has the two longest such streaks at 92 games from 1993-94, as well as the longest streak in NBA history of 126 consecutive 20-point games from 1961-63.

There’s a really good chance that Gilgeous-Alexander can come close to ending this streak or at least getting ahead of Wilt for second, which is incredible to think about.

The reigning NBA MVP continues to take his game to new heights and shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. If we thought last season was historic for the Thunder, it looks like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has something new up his sleeve for the start of the 2025-26 season.

2. Nikola Jokic – Denver Nuggets

Previous rank: #6

2025-26 Stats: 9 games, 25.2 points, 13.0 rebounds, 11.9 assists, 1.9 steals, 64.4 FG%, 35.0 3P%

As crazy as it sounds, Nikola Jokic has six triple-doubles in the Denver Nuggets’ first nine games of the 2025-26 season. He is currently on pace to record at least 50 triple-doubles this season, which would break Russell Westbrook’s NBA record for most of the season when he had 42 triple-doubles during the 2016-17 season.

He would also surpass Westbrook for the most triple-doubles of all time if that happens, as Russo’s tally currently stands at 204 and counting. Jokic currently has 170 triple-doubles in his career.

Video game-like stats are one thing for Jokic, but his efficiency and how he records these triple-doubles directly affects the Nuggets’ chances of winning. Denver is currently 7-2 this season, and one of their losses was their first game of the season, an overtime loss to the Golden State Warriors.

Jokic essentially has the Nuggets in the same position as Gilgeus-Alexander right now, which could make the 2025-26 season another two-man MVP race between SGA and the Nuggets big man.

Previous rank: #2

2025-26 Stats: 9 games, 33.8 points, 12.3 rebounds, 6.2 assists, 1.1 blocks, 63.1 FG%, 50.0 3P%

The Eastern Conference remains wide open. While the Cleveland Cavaliers, New York Knicks and Detroit Pistons are off to a fast start through three weeks, Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks still lurk as contenders.

Although the Bucks went 2-2 last week, Giannis continued to elevate his game, averaging 33.3 points, 11.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game while shooting 57.6 percent from the floor in those four games. His 33.3 points per game was the highest scoring average of any player through Week 3 of the 2025-26 season.

Gilgeus-Alexander has a championship-proven roster to back up his game, and Jokic has plenty of high-level talent, most of whom were with him when they won the championship in 2023.

Antetokounmpo doesn’t have anyone he can always turn to and lean on when he’s out in Milwaukee, yet he has this team in a championship position. Due to the fact that Giannis put the Bucks on his back and carried them with crazy numbers, he deserves a lot of credit for being in the same conversation with SGA and Jokic right now.

4. Victor Wembanyama – San Antonio Spurs

Previous rank: #1

2025-26 Stats: 9 games, 24.3 points, 12.9 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 3.8 blocks, 1.2 steals, 49.7 FG%, 23.5 3P%

During the first two weeks of the season, Victor Wembanyama and Spurs were untouchable. Wemby recorded five straight double-doubles during the Spurs’ five-game winning streak and nearly had a triple-double with 29 points, 11 rebounds and nine blocks against the New Orleans Pelicans in the second game of the season.

From this five-game winning streak, Vembanjama took a step backaveraging just 17.0 points, 10.8 rebounds and 2.5 blocks over the last four games. While these are still All-Star numbers, Vembanjama’s consistency is under fire, especially as he’s turned the ball over 20 times in the Spurs’ last four games.

During their five-game winning streak, Vembanjama have only conceded nine balls.

This may be a blip in Wembey’s quest to earn his first MVP honor, but he still has plenty of time to get back to where he was entering the year. Spurs are still the biggest threat in the Western standings and it won’t take long for Wembanja to get back on their feet from the start of the year.

5. Luka Dončić – Los Angeles Lakers

Previous rank: #4

2025-26 Stats: 6 games, 37.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, 9.5 assists, 1.8 steals, 49.0 FG%, 31.9 3P%

The only reason Luka Doncic isn’t higher on the MVP rankings is because he’s only played 60 percent of the Los Angeles Lakers’ games this season. While the sample size is small, and he still qualifies for the MVP award, availability has to be important when comparing him to Gilgeous-Alexander, Jokic and others.

Although he missed four games this season, Doncic was spectacular in the six games he played, averaging 37.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 9.5 assists per game. When LeBron James returns from injury, these numbers will obviously decrease, but it’s clear that the Lakers are Luka’s team.

What Doncic did to open the season with 43, 49 and 44 points in three straight games is unheard of, and it puts him in Lakers lore with all the legends who have ever worn the purple and gold.

It will be interesting to track Doncic’s missed games this season, especially since he is only allowed to miss 13 more and is eligible for awards and accolades at the end of the season.

It’s just missing the cut

6. Cade Cunningham – Detroit Pistons (unranked last week)

7. Tyrese McKay – Philadelphia 76ers (ranked fifth last week)

8. Josh Giddy – Chicago Bulls (unranked last week)

9. Alperen Sengun – Houston Rockets (ranked 8th last week)

10. Donovan Mitchell – Cleveland Cavaliers (unranked last week)