Spurs' Victor Wembanyama makes his case for NBA's MVP award - ESPN

MIAMI — Victor Wembanyama is making it clear: He wants to win the NBA's MVP award this season.

The San Antonio star — moments after his team officially clinched its first Southwest Division title in nine seasons — detailed some elements of his MVP case Monday night after the red-hot Spurs beat the Miami Heat 136-111 for their 22nd win in their past 24 games.

«I have thought about it,» Wembanyama said. «I think right now there is a debate. There should be, even though I think I should lead the race. I'm trying to make sure that at the end of the season, there's no debate.»

Wembanyama is averaging 24.3 points, 11.2 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 3.0 blocked shots. Only six players have finished a season with such numbers — Kareem Abdul-Jabbar did it five times, Hakeem Olajuwon did it twice, and Shaquille O'Neal, Patrick Ewing and David Robinson each did it once. The sixth player on that list? That would be Wembanyama, who did all that last season as well, albeit in only 46 games.

The reigning MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder, is the overwhelming favorite to win the trophy again. Next on the list: the Los Angeles Lakers' Luka Doncic, the NBA's leading scorer.

Wembanyama is next, with the third-best odds as of Monday, one spot ahead of Denver's Nikola Jokic. Everyone else would be considered a significant long shot for the award at this point, though the NBA's 65-game rule for major award eligibility — like MVP — could become a factor. Jokic can sit out only one more game, for example, before he falls off the ballot, and Wembanyama can sit out no more than three more times. The Spurs have 10 regular-season games left.

Wembanyama, who won NBA Rookie of the Year two years ago and was generally considered a