Victor Wembanyama is leaving no stone unturned in his pursuit of an MVP award in his third season. On Monday, Wembanyama claimed that the MVP is up for debate, but he plans to make it lopsided in his favor by the end of the season. He gave three talking points after a debate with reporter Jared Weiss during a post-game media session.
Here’s what Wembanyama said:
“My first one 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.”
Not many players have campaigned this hard for an end-of-season award. However, for Wembanyama, it could mean more beyond his legacy. According to San Antonio Sports Anchor Don Harris, there’s a $51,000,000 reason behind Wembanyama’s self-endorsement.
“Victor has $51 million reasons to lobby for MVP,” Harris wrote on Monday. “Winning the MVP award this season or next increases his 5-year max extension by $51 mil. 5 Years, $303 vs. 5 Years $252. Winning the MVP this season is the only way he can qualify early for the 30% max before his 4th season. He could still qualify by winning MVP, DPOY or winning MVP next year. I’d be campaigning too.”
Victor Wembanyama’s new rookie-scale max extension could be a record deal if he wins the MVP award. He’s already likely to earn a First-Team All-NBA selection and win the Defensive Player of the Year Award.
Victor Wembanyama’s odds to win MVP
Victor Wembanyama’s self-endorsement has instantly helped him. He’s gaining ground in the latest MVP odds. According to DraftKings Sportsbook, Wembanyama is now +2200 to win, giving him the third-best odds behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, a -1000 favorite, and Luka Doncic at +1000.
Wembanyama leads Nikola Jokic, who is +4000 to win his fourth MVP. It’s unlikely that Wembanyama manages to take down Gilgeous-Alexander in the MVP race this year. However, it could be a possibility next year, especially with vote fatigue and Wembanyama’s undeniable ascension.
