Shaq slams players and coaches arguing for less NBA games
Ralphie Aversa spoke with NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal about players and coaches calling for a reduced season to help prevent injuries.
Sports Seriously
If the opening portion of the 2025-26 NBA regular season serves as any indication, there may not be an obvious choice for the league’s Most Valuable Player Award because of how many intriguing options from around the globe have emerged.
Canadian Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder is the NBA’s reigning MVP and leads the league in clutch scoring this season for a championship team on pace to set a record for wins. Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic (Serbia) is averaging a triple-double and shooting more efficiently than he did in either of his previous two MVP seasons. Luka Doncic (Slovenia) is the only player in the league averaging 35 points per game in his first full season with the Los Angeles Lakers and is on track to have the NBA’s highest scoring average since James Harden during the 2018-19 season.
Oddsmakers give all three international players a good chance to win NBA MVP with more than a quarter of the 2025-26 season schedule complete, and Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham is lurking as an American dark horse, setting career highs while leading the Eastern Conference’s surprising first-place team.
Here’s a breakdown of the NBA’s MVP award race for the 2025-26 season based on the current BetMGM odds to win the award:
NBA MVP power rankings based on current odds
NBA MVP odds according to BetMGM as of 2 p.m. ET on Dec. 10.
T-10. Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics (+50,000)T-10. Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors (+50,000)T-10. Kevin Durant, Houston Rockets (+50,000)T-10. Alperen Sengun, Houston Rockets (+50,000)T-8. Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks (+25,000)T-8. Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves (+25,000)T-6. Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers (+20,000)T-6. Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs (+20,000)5. Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers (+10,000)4. Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons (+5000)3. Luka Doncic, Los Angeles Lakers (+260)2. Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets (+170)1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder (+160)