A locker room conversation on Monday night turned into a full MVP argument, as Victor Wembanyama stepped in to explain why he believes he should win the award after teammate Keldon Johnson initially made the case.
Wembanyama centered his argument on his defensive impact, saying it separates him from other candidates like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
“My first (argument) would be that defense is 50 percent of the game and that is undervalued, so far, in the MVP race,” Wembanyama said.
“I believe I’m the most impactful player defensively in the league. Second argument would be that we almost swept OKC in the season and we dominated them three times with their real team and four times with the, you know, more rotation players. My third argument would be that offense impact is not just points.”
He added that his offensive value goes beyond scoring, pointing to the attention he draws in pick-and-roll situations and noting data that places him alongside Nikola Jokic as one of the league’s most effective roll men.
Still, he acknowledged that voters may need to value defense more for his case to gain traction.
“It’s going to happen (over) time,” Wembanyama told Weiss. “If there were more players like Giannis (Antetokounmpo) in the past years, maybe defense would have been more recognized. I don’t know.”
Spurs' Victor Wembanyama Argues MVP Case https://t.co/OAQWHqBjo2 pic.twitter.com/ib7DdufAEZ
— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) March 24, 2026
