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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic were in a constant battle in the NBA MVP rankings throughout the 2024-25 season.
While both players had tremendous seasons, only one of them can walk away with the biggest award handed out at the end of the season. That is why various NBA media members across the country were asked about who they would vote for in this year's MVP race.
The NBA conducts their voting process for awards like MVP every season by having 100 media members submit ballots with their official votes. This media poll conducted by ClutchPoints features media members covering all 30 teams and the league at-large, some of whom hold official votes for the NBA's actual awards ballot.
The league will reveal final and official results for the NBA MVP vote during the playoffs, but this poll gives fans a glimpse into what to expect from all the award races this year.
Although Gilgeous-Alexander and Jokic were obvious choices at the top of everyone's ballot, four different players received third-place votes. There were then seven different players receiving fourth-place votes and a total of 10 players making up the full voting results for ClutchPoints' MVP media vote.
Since the All-Star break, Gilgeous-Alexander has been the heavy favorite for the MVP award. After the Oklahoma City Thunder finished the regular season with a 68-14 record, becoming just the seventh team in NBA history to win at least 68 games, SGA's case for the award has only strengthened.
Four of the other six teams to win at least 68 games saw their star player win the MVP award that same season. Could Gilgeous-Alexander follow in the footsteps of legends like Wilt Chamberlain, Dave Cowens, Michael Jordan, and Stephen Curry?
Jokic also made history this season, becoming just the third player in NBA history to average a triple-double in a season. Only Russell Westbrook (four times) and Oscar Robertson (1961-62) ever achieved this. If he were to win the MVP award, Jokic would join LeBron James and Bill Russell as the only players to ever win the award four times in five years.
So who will win the 2024-25 NBA MVP award? There is a clear winner in this year's media poll.
ClutchPoints' 2024-25 NBA MVP media poll results
| 2024-25 NBA MVP media vote | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | Total MVP Votes | Total MVP Points |
| Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (OKC) | 31 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 40 | 373 |
| Nikola Jokic (DEN) | 9 | 30 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 40 | 305 |
| Giannis Antetokounmpo (MIL) | 0 | 0 | 26 | 9 | 4 | 39 | 161 |
| Jayson Tatum (BOS) | 0 | 1 | 12 | 24 | 2 | 39 | 141 |
| Donovan Mitchell (CLE) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 11 | 14 | 22 |
| Cade Cunningham (DET) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 11 |
| Stephen Curry (GSW) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 9 |
| LeBron James (LAL) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 8 |
| Anthony Edwards (MIN) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Karl-Anthony Towns (NYK) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City Thunder) – 77.5 percent of first-place votes
2. Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets) – 22.5 percent of first-place votes
3. Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks) – 65.0 percent of third-place votes
4. Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics) – 30.0 percent of third-place votes
5. Donovan Mitchell (Cleveland Cavaliers) – 27.5 percent of fifth-place votes
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander reigns supreme over Nikola Jokic
There isn't much that separates Jokic from Gilgeous-Alexander. Whereas one player put up video-game-like numbers and averaged a triple-double for the season, the other led the league in scoring for a 68-win team.
Although there is no wrong answer for who to choose in this year's race for the NBA MVP award, Gilgeous-Alexander was the clear winner in the media vote.
Shai received 31 of the 40 possible first-place votes, totaling 373 out of 400 possible voting points. He appeared on every media member's ballot, as he was chosen for second place behind Jokic in nine ballots.
It shouldn't come as a shock to anyone that Gilgeous-Alexander and Jokic sit at the top of the voting results for MVP, considering that they have been in this position all season. Not to mention, these two were popular picks in ClutchPoints' preseason MVP media poll before the 2024-25 season began in October.
Gilgeous-Alexander finished the season averaging a league-high 32.7 points per game and shooting 51.9 percent from the floor. The Thunder star led all players in 20-point games (75), 30-point games (49), 40-point games (13), and 50-point games (4). Only Gilgeous-Alexander, Jokic (2), and Stephen Curry (2) recorded multiple 50-point games this season.
As good as Jokic was this season, this media poll for the MVP award reflects the idea that team success will play a major factor in the actual MVP vote this season.
Behind Gilgeous-Alexander and Jokic in the voting results was Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jayson Tatum. Antetokounmpo received 26 third-place votes, the most out of any player in the poll, and Tatum finished only 20 voting points behind the Milwaukee Bucks' two-time MVP.
The Boston Celtics star even received one second-place vote, making him the only other player outside of SGA and Jokic to receive a second-place vote. Should Giannis finish inside the top five of the voting results for MVP, it will mark the seventh straight season he has finished in said position.
Not only did NBA media members vote for Gilgeous-Alexander to win the MVP award, but Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards also pointed out earlier this season that the Thunder star should win the award after scoring 40 points against him.
“The MVP of the NBA,” Edwards said of SGA in January. “To me, he's unguardable. As far as any one-on-one matchup, yeah, you can go on and give it up. Just give him two points most of the time. So I think you got to trap him. Maybe that don't work, but you got to try it. For sure, you got to send a second body, especially if he got a favorable matchup.
“Anytime he got somebody that he knows can't guard him, ah, he going to score every time.”
Gilgeous-Alexander is the clear favorite for the NBA MVP award based on the media vote.
Cade Cunningham, Donovan Mitchell receive top-5 MVP votes
Six other players received votes for the NBA MVP award in ClutchPoints' media poll outside of Gilgeous-Alexander, Jokic, Antetokounmpo, and Tatum. Among those receiving consideration were Cade Cunningham and Donovan Mitchell.
This has been a tremendous season for Cunningham and the Detroit Pistons. One year after winning 14 games and losing 28 straight games at one point, the Pistons won 44 games and will play the New York Knicks in the first round of the playoffs.
In 70 games this season, Cunningham averaged 26.1 points, 9.1 assists, and 6.1 rebounds per game while shooting 46.9 percent from the floor and 35.6 percent from three-point range. As a result, he was named to the All-Star roster for the first time in his career, and Cunningham will be an All-NBA selection as well.
Cade finished sixth in the MVP media poll behind Mitchell, receiving three fourth-place votes and four fifth-place votes. He was tied for the sixth-most votes out of any player among the 40 media voters.
While Mitchell's production and scoring numbers dropped with the Cleveland Cavaliers this season, his willingness to make those around him better grew. As a result of Mitchell's unselfish play and sacrificing shots, others like Darius Garland and Evan Mobley thrived.
This led to the Cavs finishing the regular season with a 64-18 record, their best since LeBron James led the team to 66 wins during the 2008-09 season.
It appears as if Mitchell will finish inside the top five of the MVP voting for the first time in his career due to his success as a leader in Cleveland.
Other players receiving votes behind Mitchell and Cunningham include Stephen Curry (seven total votes), LeBron James (six votes), Anthony Edwards (six votes), and Karl-Anthony Towns (two votes). Curry, James, and Towns each received a single fourth-place vote for MVP. All six of Edwards' votes were for fifth.
If LeBron finishes inside the top 10 of this year's actual MVP vote, it will mark the 18th time he has done so in his career. The last time James finished top 10 in the MVP voting was after the 2021-22 season.
