Victor Wembanyama did not tiptoe around it. Fresh off San Antonio clinching the Southwest Division for the first time in nine seasons, and after a 136-111 win over Miami that gave the Spurs 22 victories in their last 24 games, Wembanyama said he believes he should be leading the MVP conversation.

What he said

"I have thought about it. I think there is a debate right now. There should be, but I think I should be leading the race. I am trying to make sure that, at the end of the season, there is no debate." Those were his words after the game.

The numbers behind the claim

Through the season he is averaging 24.3 points, 11.2 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 blocks per game. Those all-around figures are rare. Only six players in NBA history have finished a season with those numbers:

  • Kareem Abdul-Jabbar did it five times
  • Hakeem Olajuwon did it twice
  • Shaquille O'Neal, Patrick Ewing and David Robinson did it once each
  • The sixth name is Wembanyama, who also posted similar stats last season in just 46 games

Where he sits in the MVP race

Bookmakers currently list Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as the favorite, with Luka Doncic next. Wembanyama had the third-best odds heading into Monday, one spot ahead of Nikola Jokic.

There is also a practical wrinkle: the NBA requires 65 games played to be eligible for major awards. That rule could matter. For example, Jokic can only miss one more game before becoming ineligible, while Wembanyama has room for up to three missed games.

Three arguments he offered

  • Defense matters. Wembanyama said defense is half the game and is often undervalued in MVP discussions. He claimed he has the biggest defensive impact in the league.
  • Team dominance. He pointed out the Spurs handled Oklahoma City this season, winning nearly all matchups and beating them three times when OKC had its best lineup.
  • Offense is more than scoring. He argued impact on offense should not be reduced to points per game alone.

"I think I am the player with the biggest defensive impact in the league," he said.

What his coach says

Mitch Johnson, the Spurs coach, admitted he is biased but offered a clear endorsement. He said he watches Wembanyama every day in practice and games and sees a player who influences every part of the contest.

"Wemby influences the game in every way: on the court, both sides, with and without the ball, in what the other team plans and adjusts. In my opinion he impacts the game as much as any player I have seen."

Team context and health history

The Spurs are 54-18 and will finish as either the first or second seed in the Western Conference. That positioning gives them home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs and likely beyond if they keep progressing. A big part of the team's rise is the 22-year-old franchise face, standing 2.24 meters tall, whose maturity and work ethic get repeated praise from teammates and staff.

Wembanyama won Rookie of the Year two seasons ago. He was a frontrunner for Defensive Player of the Year last season until a deep vein thrombosis forced him to step away for health reasons.

He is laying out a case that combines rare stats, team success and defensive influence. Whether voters agree remains to be seen, but the Spurs' surge and his numbers make the argument hard to ignore.