Victor Wembanyama recently overtook Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the Kia NBA MVP ladder. For most of the season, Gilgeous-Alexander seemed to be the favorite to win the award for the second consecutive time in his career. However, Wembanyama proved otherwise.
While Wembanyama has undoubtedly proven to be a deserving candidate for the MVP, former NBA player Quentin Richardson shared his thoughts on the towering Frenchman potentially winning the award.
Why Quentin Richardson Backs Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Over Victor Wembanyama for NBA MVP
Last Monday, Wembanyama debated with the media about why he deserves to win the MVP award this season. While Wembanyama has been one of the top five candidates to win the award this year, he has never led the race.
It clearly bothered Wembanyama, who later explained that his game is above everyone else’s this season. The San Antonio Spurs star emphasized that many are overlooking his defense. Wembanyama explained that defense is an impactful part of the game, and he believes he has over-delivered on it.
Wembanyama then noted how he’s matched his superior defensive prowess with unstoppable offense. His production across the board has helped the Spurs remain in the top two of the Western Conference for most of the season.
Looking at his numbers, he’s averaging a double-double and is currently leading the league in blocks. Wembanyama is averaging 24.2 points, 11.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 3.1 blocks, and 1.1 steals.
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While his numbers have undoubtedly proven his worth for the MVP award, former NBA player Richardson wasn’t a fan of how Wembanyama had to explain his case to the public.
Richardson feels that Gilgeous-Alexander is still a more deserving candidate over the Frenchman. His reason is that he dislikes Wembanyama’s attempt to change the public’s opinion by debating with the media. To Richardson, a real MVP would never brag about his game.
“I like everything about Wemby, but I didn’t like that,” Richardson said. “Big fella, your game is doing all the talking. I don’t feel like he should have to go up there and politic to prove why he’s the MVP. Now, I also say he’s not the MVP this year. SGA is.”
“My era wasn’t really like that,” Richardson continued. “We wouldn’t go up there and say, ‘I should be MVP!’ We would be in the locker room, like what is he doing?”
Quentin Richardson doesn’t like Victor Wembanyama trying to ‘politic’ his way to the MVP award:
“I like everything about Wemby but I didn’t like that. Big fella your game is doing all the talking. I don’t feel like he should have to go up there and politic to prove why he’s the… pic.twitter.com/jVA2lUD32M
— NBA Courtside (@NBA__Courtside) March 29, 2026
Wembanyama took the lead in the MVP race on Friday. He climbed his way up from third place in Week 22 of the race. With only eight games remaining in the Spurs’ regular season, it’ll be interesting to see if Wembanyama can take care of his lead.
