5 international players who clinched NBA MVP award ft. Giannis Antetokounmpo & more
The NBA MVP award is a prestigious award that only the best player of a particular season can win. Looking at the league's history, there has been a long list of players who won the award. As the sport became more popular around the globe, international talent has developed and caught up to the USA's best players.
There's been an influx of international players in the past few seasons. They've started to show the influence of basketball overseas, which has allowed them to dominate in the league. Some of them have even been a significant part of their franchise's and the league's history.
Also read: 5 Players with the most NBA MVP awards in league history
5 international players who clinched NBA MVP
In this list, we'll take a look at five international players who have won the NBA MVP award.
Also read: NBA MVP history: Which player has been the biggest snub of all time?
#5, Dirk Nowitzki
Changing the way big men played, Dirk Nowitzki became the league's most valuable player back in 2007. He led the Dallas Mavericks to 67 wins, averaging 24.6 points, 8.9 rebounds and 3.4 assists.
While the forward from Germany was the rightful recipient of the award, most fans remember his MVP campaign because the Mavs lost to the eighth-seeded Golden State Warriors in the first round of the playoffs.
#4, Joel Embiid
Joel Embiid won the NBA MVP award last season after putting up 33.1 ppg, 10.2 rpg and 4.2 apg. He also led the Philadelphia 76ers to a 50-win season, further validating his MVP campaign.
However, the Cameroonian center underperformed in the playoffs, which led to the Sixers' second-round exit. But his lone MVP season won't be forgotten by the fans as he led the league in scoring and finally earned what he deserved.
#3, Hakeem Olajuwon
Hailing from Nigeria, Hakeem Olajuwon was one of the best players in the 1984 draft class. Olajuwon earned his sole MVP award in the 1993-94 season, which was the season when Michael Jordan took a break from basketball. He also won the Defensive Player of the Year award in the same season.
The Houston Rockets center averaged 27.3 ppg, 11.9 rpg and 3.7 blocks. That helped him lead the Rockets to the NBA Finals and earn a Finals MVP award after beating the New York Knicks for the title.
#2, Nikola Jokic
Many thought that Nikola Jokic should have won his third-straight NBA MVP award last season. However, he came up short against Embiid, but he still has more success compared to his rival center.
The Serbian center has won MVP awards, winning them in consecutive seasons. He averaged 26.7 ppg, 12.3 rpg and 8.1 apg during those two years when he was the best player in the league. Although he didn't win last season, Jokic earned a different hardware by leading the Denver Nuggets to a title win.
#1, Giannis Antetokounmpo
Giannis Antetokounmpo's MVP journey is similar to Jokic's. He won the award back-to-back before he led the Milwaukee Bucks to a championship in 2021. During that span, he proved that he was the league's best player.
In the two seasons he played as the MVP, he averaged 28.5 ppg, 13.0 rpg and 5.8 apg. The Greek Freak also channeled his inner Hakeem Olajuwon as he won the Defensive Player of the Year award during his second MVP campaign.