BYU freshman superstar AJ Dybantsa hasn't even played one minute of NBA basketball, and the NBA world is already crowning him as perhaps the heir apparent to tear the MVP award from its current streak of international dominance.
As much as basketball has been historically dominated by the United States of America (this is the primary source of my deep-running patriotism), the MVP discussion has taken a bit of an international detour. And by detour, I mean extended vacation. And by vacation, I mean no American has won an NBA MVP award since James Harden in 2018.
No, Canadians like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander -- who was just crowned back-to-back MVP -- do not count as Americans, but thanks for playing.
Harden was the final American in a stretch where 14 of 15 MVPs were American-born, broken up by German sensation Dirk Nowitzki, whose career remains so criminally underrated.
But for the last eight seasons, the MVP award has gone to international hoopers exclusively. Giannis, Jokic, Embiid (yeah, I forgot about that, too), and SGA are the most recent winners, and with Frenchman Victor Wembanyama approaching untouched ground in basketball's storied history, it could be quite some time before another American brings home the most prestigious individual award in the basketball world. Let's not forget about Luka Doncic, either, who constantly appears to be on the brink of glory, so long as he can fulfill the NBA's 65-game requirement.
Do you sincerely believe that Cade Cunningham or Anthony Edwards can penetrate this wall of international elites? Not even Jaylen Brown or Jayson Tatum? Perhaps Cooper Flagg could hoist the star-spangled banner over the court once again?
It's an unmatched period of time for the NBA, and that's exactly why CBS Sports feels inclined to look at the top of this year's draft class to perhaps find the next great American hooper.
"And then there are the players who aren't even in the league yet. The widespread belief going into the 2026 NBA Draft is that four players have All-NBA upside: AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer, and Caleb Wilson. All four are American. Three of the teams drafting in that range, the Wizards, Jazz, and Grizzlies, are operating with substantial enough asset surpluses to pretty believably build a financially sustainable contender quickly. The Wizards, being in the East, have the cleanest path to a high seed, so their pick has the best chance of entering the fray."
Dybantsa, the projected number-one overall pick, could set the NBA world on fire, just like he did during his time at BYU. A player whose style of play elevates the entire team around him, AJ Dybantsa likely has the best shot of any player in the 2026 class to hoist the MVP trophy above his head some day.
BYU fans will be there to say, with a smile stretching across their faces: "I told you so."
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