The NBA MVP race has seen a trend of international dominance in recent years, with American players missing out on the prestigious award.
It’s been five years since James Harden took home the MVP trophy in 2018. Since then, it’s been a global affair, with Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic, and Joel Embiid claiming the honor.
Former NBA star Gilbert Arenas, along with the Gil’s Arena crew, recently discussed who could break this streak and become the next American NBA MVP.
Arenas initially pointed to Jayson Tatum, citing his expectation of the Celtics being a top team in the Eastern Conference.
However, he didn’t stop there. He also threw Zion Williamson’s name into the mix, despite the young star’s injury setbacks.
“Tatum’s record would be good, so you got Tatum. Zion, baby! Zion! Because if he comes in, if he’s averaging about 27 and 11 or 10, and his team is in the top two or three, he can probably sneak in there,” Arenas remarked during the discussion on Gil’s Arena.
Arenas dismissed the MVP chances of players like Kevin Durant and Damian Lillard due to their superstar-laden teams.
He did mention Anthony Davis as a potential contender, but only if LeBron James provides him with the platform to shine.
“I got Zion, though, because of how Zion’s been in and out and he’s been playing well. If he plays around 65 games, we already know what his numbers are going to be,” Arenas added.
