The NBA have announced the finalists for this season’s Kia Performance Awards. While there are many prizes, fans and analysts turn their attention to the biggest one: Kia NBA Most Valuable Player Award.

Throughout the season, there have been many names thrown into the MVP conversation but three have remained constant and now it has come down to those three. From the Philadelphia 76ers, centre-forward, Joel Embiid; from the Denver Nuggets, centre, Nikola Jokic and from the Milwaukee Bucks, power forward, Giannis Antetokounmpo. This is the same trio of finalists from the 2021-22 season.

Joel Embiid on court against the Brooklyn Nets (Image: Getty Images)

Embiid is aiming to win the MVP award for the very first time. He has had an exceptional season. He finished first in points, averaging 33.1, along with 10.2 rebounds and 4.2 assists. The 76ers, who ended the season with a record of 54 wins and 28 losses, finished third in the Eastern Conference.

Nikola Jokic shooting a free throw against the Minnesota Timberwolves (Image: Getty Images)

Jokic is the reigning MVP and he is looking to win the award for a third straight year. Only three other players in the league’s history have achieved this feat: Larry Bird, Wilt Chamberlain, and Bill Russell. Jokic has been the frontrunner for the award for most of the season and has averaged 24.5 points, 11.8 rebounds and 9.8 assists for the season. Jokic has changed the way many view the centre position; the biggest criticism he has faced is his lack of success in the postseason. Given how open the Western Conference is, this could be the year for Jokic and the Nuggets.

Giannis Antetokounmpo on court for the Milwaukee Bucks (Image: Getty Images)

Bucks forward Antetokounmpo is vying to win his third MVP in five years. Antetokounmpo is widely regarded as the best player in the world and is the only champion among the three candidates. Antetokounmpo has also demonstrated his stellar ability on the defensive end of the court by winning Defensive Player of the Year in 2020. Like his competitors, Antetokounmpo has also improved, he averaged 31.1 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 5.7 assists and the Bucks finished with the best record in the NBA with 58 wins and 24 losses.

All three players have played incredibly all season and they have been the main reason for the success of their respective teams. Now Embiid, Jokic, and Antetokounmpo enter into the final stage of the season where they will compete for the NBA’s ultimate prize.