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.
