American MVP candidates aiming to end the drought in the NBA

It is chilling to realize that the last American MVP was James Harden, back in the distant year 2019. Despite the fact that the United States continues to dominate at the national team level, the truth is that foreign talent is boosting the NBA and setting a precedent never seen before in the history of the competition.

Antetokounmpo, Jokic, Embiid, and Shai have dominated the MVP awards in recent years, and it is not unlikely that they will continue to do so or that another international player will join this group, such as Luka Doncic. It is understandable that this may eventually create a sense of unease in the United States, where they see generational stars coming from other countries leading and driving the competition, making it difficult to predict when this phase will end.

The American dominance in the MVP race has drastically dropped

The last 8 MVPs have been international players

(via @kirkgoldsberry) pic.twitter.com/oCP16HLhPf

— NBA - Jordi de Mas (@demas6Basket) May 18, 2026

When we think about who is poised to break the streak and bring the MVP back to the United States, several names come to mind. Jayson Tatum may be one of the most likely candidates, but also Jalen Brunson. Looking ahead, it seems unlikely that players like Cade Cunningham or Cooper Flagg will not have the necessary opportunities to eventually win this award and halt a truly impressive streak.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Los candidatos a romper la sequía MVPs estadounidenses en la NBA