As the 2022–23 NBA regular season starts to wind down, debate about the league’s MVP award has only grown more contentious. Three clear candidates—Nikola Jokić, Joel Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo—have emerged as the favorites to win the prestigious award, but it’s anyone’s guess as to which player will hoist the trophy at year’s end in part because it remains unclear exactly what criteria is used by voters when they cast their ballots.
Antetokounmpo, already a two-time MVP in his own right, finds himself particularly frustrated by the lack of clarity when it comes to the definition of the award. In a recent interview with The Athletic’s Sam Amick, the Bucks star questioned what exactly it means to be the MVP while admitting that he tries to focus on his own game and not on things that he can’t control.
“Like, I believe—and I know—that people are dominating. So what is the MVP? Is it the guy who scores the most points? Is it the guy who’s the most efficient? Is it the guy who is the most dominant? Is it the guy who is the most valuable?” Antetokounmpo said. “Sometimes, the best player isn’t the most valuable player on the team. Like, I feel like [Bucks center] Brook [Lopez] is such a valuable player for our team. Like [the MVP criteria] just f------—sorry for my language—it just changes. As I said again, I can’t control that. I can control only how I prepare for the game and try to be ready for the game.”
Antetokounmpo has certainly done a strong job with his preparations this season and is on pace to earn All-NBA honors for the seventh season in a row. In 54 games played, the 28-year-old is averaging a career-high 31.5 points per game on 54.1% shooting, in addition to racking up 11.9 rebounds and 5.5 assists per contest.
Importantly for the MVP race, Antetokounmpo has also powered the Bucks to a league-best 50–19 record with just 13 regular season games left to play. If Milwaukee remains atop the Eastern Conference at season’s end, Antetokounmpo could very well find himself hoisting the MVP trophy for the third time as he pursues a second NBA championship.
