Wembanyama for MVP? LeBron James: “Why not”
LeBron James and Steve Nash discuss the 2027 NBA MVP race. Victor Wembanyama is at the center of the conversation
Can Victor Wembanyama really win the 2026/27 NBA MVP? For LeBron James, the answer is simple: why not? The Frenchman is already one of the most dominant players in the league and, according to the four-time MVP, he has everything it takes to challenge for the NBA’s most prestigious individual award.
In a preview of the new episode of Mind the Game, Steve Nash asked LeBron whether Wemby could be one of the leading candidates for the award. James answered without much hesitation.
I don’t see why not
LeBron James
Nash, in fact, would have put Wembanyama in the MVP race as early as last season. For the former point guard, the Frenchman is increasingly becoming the kind of player who can take control of a team and carry it to wins.
There’s a part of me that still thinks there’s tremendous value in the guy who has the ball in his hands and has to carry the team to a win every night. To me, that’s exactly the direction he’s heading in
Steve Nash
After all, the numbers speak for themselves: 25 points, 11.5 rebounds and 3.1 blocks per game last season. Wembanyama is already one of the best defenders in the NBA and continues to improve offensively, taking on more and more responsibility with the Spurs.
LeBron James: Wembanyama for MVP, but don’t forget about OKC
While discussing Wemby’s defensive impact, LeBron also brought up Dwight Howard, recalling just how dominant he was at the peak of his career.
If you say, “He’s the best defender this year, look at his defensive impact when he’s on the floor,” then we should have pushed Dwight Howard’s case too when he was at the peak of his career
LeBron James
The message is clear: defense can carry enormous weight in the MVP race, but the same criteria also have to be applied when discussing great players from the past.
LeBron then pointed out that, no matter how much San Antonio continues to improve, the Oklahoma City Thunder remain a team to fear.
I think it’s very important that we, as fans and casual viewers, don’t already write off OKC
LeBron James
Wembanyama already has superstar numbers and is now aiming for something even bigger. LeBron believes he can do it, but the competition certainly will not stand still.