Can Stephen Curry’s heroics take him to the third award?

Once again, it seems Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokić will be the two players fighting for the MVP award at the end of the 2025-26 NBA season. However, this year’s MVP race is much more open than in years past, especially with the hot starts we’ve seen since Giannis Antetokounmpo, Victor Vembanyamaand Luka Dončić.

Even Cade Cunningham is starting to get a lot of attention in the MVP race with the Detroit Pistons leading the Eastern Conference at 11-2. So, can anyone else enter the race and possibly give SGA and Jokic a run for their money?

about what Stephen Curry?

The two-time MVP and the only unanimous winner of the award in NBA history recently missed three consecutive games due to an illness that kept him in bed for several days. Golden State has struggled without its leader on the floor, and he is truly the identity of the Warriors’ offense.

After returning from illness on Tuesday, Curry scored just 11 points in a 126-102 loss to Gilgeous-Alexander’s Oklahoma City Thunder. It might not be an MVP performance for Curry, but it’s what Steph did in his next two games that suddenly brought attention to the Dubs.

Not only did Curry score 46 points in a 125-120 fourth-quarter win over Vembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs, but he followed this performance with a record 49 points with nine three-pointers in a 109-108 NBA Cup victory over the Spurs.

With this performance of 49 points, Curry tied Michael Jordan for the most points with 40 points (44 games) after turning 30 in NBA history. Steph too joined Jordan and LeBron James as the only players age 37 or older in NBA history to record back-to-back 40-point games.

On Friday against the Spurs, Curry knocked down nine 3-pointers in a game for the 47th time in his Hall of Fame career. He not only owns this record, but the next closest player to accomplish this feat is Damian Lillard in just 14 games.

While we all know Curry is the greatest shooter of all time, he keeps reminding everyone why he’s still the face of the NBA and why we can’t write off the Warriors just yet. These types of heroic performances are what make Golden State scary, and as long as Steph continues to play at this level, he will continue to lurk on NBA MVP lists.

Still, it’s a race between Gilgeous-Alexander and Jokic as everyone else continues to follow the two superstars who have won four of the last five MVP awards.

Previous 2023-24 NBA MVP Rankings: 3rd week | 2nd week | 1st week

1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – Oklahoma City Thunder

Previous rank: #1

2025-26 Stats: 14 games, 32.6 points, 6.6 assists, 5.1 rebounds, 1.4 steals, 53.1 FG%, 37.3 3P%

Make Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 86 consecutive games with at least 20 points, putting him closer to passing Wilt Chamberlain for second most consecutive games with at least 20 points in NBA history, as Wilt did in 92 consecutive games from 1963-64. The man SGA ends up chasing for the record is… well, it’s Wilt with 126 consecutive 20-point games from 1961-63.

The only reason this record was broken, for you basketball junkies, was because Chamberlain was ejected early in a January 1963 game after scoring just six points. Records say Chamberlain was ejected for going up to the officials and calling him out for a poor performance in the first quarter.

Who knows what actually happened, but what we do know is that Gilgeous-Alexander continues to take the Thunder to new heights after their championship. SGA has the Thunder at 13-1, and he’s right with Giannis and Luka for the league lead in scoring. He is currently on track to win back-to-back MVP awards.

2. Nikola Jokic – Denver Nuggets

Previous rank: #2

2025/26 stats: 12 games, 28.7 points, 13.0 rebounds, 10.8 assists, 1.8 steals, 67.2 FG%, 42.6 3P%

If Nikola Jokic continues to put up the numbers he has, he will not only win his fourth MVP award, but he will have the Denver Nuggets in prime position to dethrone the Thunder and win another championship.

What Jokić does can’t even be seen in a video game, like his Performance of 55 points, 11 rebounds and six assists in a 130-116 win over the Los Angeles Clippers it was unreal. Jokić shot over 50 percent from 3-pointers in five consecutive games, and currently leads the league in rebounds and assists with a triple-double average.

No team in the league has come close to finding a solution to stop this guy, as he continues to prove that he is the best player of his generation.

3. Giannis Antetokounmpo – Milwaukee Bucks

Previous rank: #3

2025-26 stats: 12 games, 32.6 points, 11.3 rebounds, 7.1 assists, 1.3 blocks, 63.0 FG%, 50.0 3P%

For Giannis Antetokounmpo to win the MVP award, the Milwaukee Bucks will have to help him and win games. Unfortunately, because he’s going up against Gilgeous-Alexander and Jokic on two of the best teams in the league, team record matters a lot in the MVP race.

However, when you look at Giannis’ numbers individually, they are godlike. Antetokounmpo and Doncic have gone back and forth for the league lead in scoring, but Giannis’ efficiency stands out among the rest of the top five on the NBA MVP list.

This season, Giannis leads everyone in field goals per game, as well as 2-pointers and 2-point field goal attempts. If his averages hold, this would be the fourth straight year Antetokounmpo has averaged at least 30 points and 10 rebounds.

4. Victor Vembanyama – San Antonio Spurs

Previous rank: #4

2025-26 Stats: 12 games, 26.2 points, 12.9 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 3.6 blocks, 1.1 steals, 50.2 FG%, 34.5 3P%

The Spurs may have lost back-to-back games against the Warriors because of Stephen Curry’s combined 95 points in those two games, but Victor Wembanyama was fantastic. In his team’s first loss against Golden State, Wemby had 31 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists. In Friday’s NBA Cup game, the Spurs big man had 26 points and 12 rebounds.

Vembanjama continues to raise his game to new heights every week, and he has the Spurs very much in the conversation to contend atop the West standings this season. He currently leads the league with 43 blocks in 12 games. The next closest player is Alex Sarr with 28 blocks.

5. Luka Doncic – Los Angeles Lakers

Previous rank: #5

2025-26 Stats: 10 games, 34.4 points, 8.9 rebounds, 8.9 assists, 1.7 steals, 46.9 FG%, 32.7 3P%

It will be very interesting to see what JJ Redick and the Los Angeles Lakers decide to do with the Luka Doncic offense once LeBron James returns, which it could realistically happen on Tuesday night against the Utah Jazz.

Redick definitely doesn’t want to limit Doncic’s minutes or touches, especially since he currently leads the league in scoring and has put the Lakers just behind the Thunder and Nuggets at 10-4 this season.

Doncic led the Lakers to a 119-95 loss to Giannis and the Bucks on Saturday, falling in Milwaukee with 41 points, nine rebounds and six assists. This was Doncic’s fourth 40-point game of the season.

It’s just missing the cut

6. Stephen Curry – Golden State Warriors (unranked last week)

7. Cade Cunningham – Detroit Pistons (ranked #6 last week)

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

9. Josh Giddy – Chicago Bulls (No. 8 last week)

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