Sometimes it can just be exhausting seeing the same guy win something over and over again. It's why LeBron James only has 4 NBA MVPs to his name. It's why Nikola Jokic did not win five in a row over these last few seasons. It's why Luka Doncic should get a natural advantage at winning his first.
Voter fatigue is often a big part of the race for the NBA's most coveted individual award. One does not need to look further than the previous 2024-25 season for prime evidence of that fact.
Jokic delivered an individual campaign of the likes no one had ever seen before. No other player in NBA history had finished in the top three of per game averages for points, rebounds, and assists. No center in league history had averaged a triple-double before him. No one cared.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was the new kid on the block, delivering a pretty impressive season of his own. It also helped that his Oklahoma City Thunder had a better regular season finish. All of that helped him overcome Jokic. Now, it is Doncic's turn.
Luka Doncic's redemption storyline should make him clear MVP favorite
For what it's worth, the NBA general managers did gather recently for their annual survey ahead of the new campaign. The votes cast suggested Jokic is still the top dog in this race, with 67 percent favoring the Denver Nuggets superstar.
Gilgeous-Alexander was third on the GM's ballot with 7 percent. One would imagine the Thunder and the Canadian point guard would need to greatly outdo last year's campaign for SGA to win back-to-back MVPs.
Doncic captured 10 percent of the votes from the NBA GMs, setting a clear expectation for him to be in that race. If the Slovenian superstar were to win the award in 2025-26, it would actually extend an impressive MVP run from international superstars. An American born player has not won MVP since 2018.
In having that discussion, it is important to remember general managers are not the ones picking these MVPs. That is the media's job.
On top of the voter fatigue, everyone knows Doncic has the narrative. That should go a long way with the actual voters. Luka has yet to be crowned with the NBA MVP despite some impressive individual seasons.
Is the Lakers point guard going to turn into one of those players who the MVP somehow manages to elude throughout his career? That would be a genuine surprise for someone who is considered generational by the public.
As much as one would not want to reduce the NBA MVP to simply narratives, overlooking that aspect of the race would be disingenuous. Everything has lined up nicely for Doncic. Luka will undoubtedly provide the numbers. The Lakers just need to back those up with wins.