3X NBA champion shares only plot where Shai Gilgeous-Alexander wins 2025 MVP over Nikola Jokic

Three-time NBA champion Danny Green has thought long and hard about Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's case for winning the MVP award. According to the former player, on Jan. 25, OKC Thunder's Gilgeous-Alexander has made it tough for Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets to win the award for a fourth time.

Initially, Green picked the Nuggets star to win the award. However, the emergence of SGA and the Thunder has caused him to think twice about his MVP pick. Even with Gilgeous-Alexander and his team taking over the top spot in the Western Conference, the former LA Lakers player still believes Jokic can win this season.

Still, that doesn't mean Green thinks the three-time All-Star has no chance of winning his first MVP. On Friday, the former 3-point specialist appeared on ESPN's "NBA Today" and talked about how SGA can win the award.

"His best bet is that Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets are not in the top four in the West, and right now, they are," Green said.

"For the Nuggets to be a four seed, him [Jokic] having Russell Westbrook playing his best basketball in year 17 or 18 , whatever it is. Winning games, when they don't have the depth... It's hard not to have Jokic as the MVP this year. Shai, his only hope is that [Jokic] is in the bottom half or he's outside of the playoff run."

The Nuggets are fourth in the West standings with a 28-16 record and are on a four-game winning streak.

In the latest MVP Ladder update, SGA and Jokic are first and second, respectively. They are the top two picks to win the award this season. The Thunder star is averaging 30 points for the third consecutive season, while the Nuggets star is averaging a 30-point triple-double.

Former champ thinks Shai Gilgeous-Alexander should be the next face of the league

With stars like LeBron James and Steph Curry nearing the end of their careers, the league will eventually look for someone to represent them. Former champion Kendrick Perkins believes that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the right guy for it.

On Jan. 23 episode of "NBA Today," Perkins spoke highly of SGA and his potential to be the face of the league.

"When you talk about a guy, and we'll talk about getting into the MVP conversation -- yes, he's my frontrunner," Perkins said. "Let's take it a step further. We've been wondering who LeBron James and Steph Curry gon' pass the torch to, for as being the next face of the NBA, I think SGA wants to wear it."

SGA's rise to stardom is one of the reasons why Perkins believes he will take over the league.