On Wednesday, May 21, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander earned the biggest individual honor in basketball: the 2024-25 NBA MVP award. But while fans were busy celebrating his rise, something else hijacked the spotlight. Two unexpected names popped up in the final vote tally, and let’s just say, fans were not happy.
The outrage was loud, the tweets were louder, and now people are calling for some voters to be stripped of their voting privileges.
Fans Fuming Over Who Got MVP Votes
Gilgeous-Alexander beat out Nikola Jokić and Giannis Antetokounmpo to win the MVP in one of the tightest races in recent years. The Oklahoma City Thunder guard finished with 913 points, edging out Jokić by just 126. Antetokounmpo came third with 470, and Jayson Tatum landed in fourth with 311.
But what really set the internet ablaze was the fact that James Harden and Evan Mobley, who were never in the MVP contention, each got a vote. And while that may seem harmless, fans didn’t take it lightly.
One user bluntly asked, “WTF. Does Harden have a vote?”
WTF. Does Harden have a vote? pic.twitter.com/lBr8dhl8is
— NewJerichoMan (@FFBallAppraiser)
For context, Harden averaged 22.8 points, 8.7 assists, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game during the regular season. While he was solid, he was never a legitimate MVP candidate, so fans were shocked to see him receive a vote.
Another fan came in even hotter, tweeting, “Who the hell voted for Evan Mobley?”
“Should lose their vote,” another fan responded. “Same with Bron and Curry. I could argue Butler was more valuable than Curry in GS as they werent making the playoffs until he came”
should lose their vote. Same with Bron and Curry. I could argue Butler was more valuable than Curry in GS as they werent making the playoffs until he came
— jerry hall (@halljord23)
Mobley’s regular season was solid — he put up 18.5 points, 9.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.6 blocks, and 0.9 steals per game while earning Defensive Player of the Year honors. Still, the Cleveland Cavaliers big man wasn’t believed to be MVP material.
“Idiotic. People are so clueless,” another user posted, echoing the general frustration.
Idiotic. People are so clueless.
— EstesParkHawk (@EstesParkHawk)
The voting system itself adds fuel to the fire. A panel of 100 media members each submit a five-player MVP ballot, ranked one through five. First-place votes earn 10 points, second-place votes count for seven, third-place votes count for five, fourth-place votes count for three, and fifth-place votes count for one.
The fact that one voter ranked Harden in their top five and another did the same for Mobley surprised many fans. When the NBA awards are all announced, the league will release every ballot, so we will learn who placed these votes very soon.
“12 voters need to be exiled from this vote,” one fan said. “Giannis should be top 3 in every poll.”
12 voters need to be exiled from this vote. Giannis should be top 3 in every poll.
— WINsconsin (@Wis_0ne)
Then came the reactions with more disbelief than rage: “Evan Mobley received a vote for MVP,” one user tweeted, dropping a shocked-face emoji to hammer it home.
“TAKE THAT PERSON’S VOTE IMMEDIATELY,” another begged, throwing in a couple of prayer hands.
Evan Mobley recieved a vote for MVP 🤯
TAKE THAT PERSON’S VOTE IMMEDIATELY 🙏🙏🙏 pic.twitter.com/XMsdLIcynB
— Hater Central (@TheHateCentral)
And finally, the one fan who didn’t hold back summed it up: “Evan Mobley we serious[?] take voting rights away from these f****g idiots.”
Once we find out who placed these votes, expect the outrage to kick right back up. Because while Gilgeous-Alexander rightfully celebrates his MVP win, the bigger conversation around the credibility of voting is far from over. For fans, an MVP vote isn’t just a minor thing. When it looks like someone didn’t take it seriously, well, the outage is sure to follow.
