Congratulations to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (SGA) for being named the 2025 NBA Most Valuable Player! The Canadian guard’s electrifying performance this season—his scoring, leadership, and consistency—has earned him a spot among basketball’s modern greats. But SGA’s MVP honor is about more than individual excellence. It’s part of a larger and increasingly powerful trend in the NBA: the rise of international superstars. In fact, for the seventh consecutive season, the NBA’s MVP award has gone to a player born outside the United States.
A New MVP Era: Born Beyond U.S. Borders: Over the past several years, the MVP crown has rotated among global names:
- Giannis Antetokounmpo – born in Greece to Nigerian parents
- Nikola Jokić – from Serbia
- Joel Embiid – born in Cameroon
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – born in Canada to Jamaican heritage
Each of these athletes not only represents the global growth of basketball, but also highlights something deeper: the ongoing intersection between sports, immigration, and opportunity.
Immigration Is Part of the Game: Before becoming household names, these players may have been international students, visa holders, or young immigrants entering the United States to chase a dream. Many of today’s international NBA stars have relied on the U.S. immigration system to get where they are, often pursuing one of the following forms of authorization:
- Student visas (F-1), allowing them to attend and compete in schools.
- Athlete visas (P-1A), permitting them to compete as professional athletes.
- Extraordinary ability visas (O-1), recognizing their elite status in a global sport.
- Green Cards and Citizenship, ultimately granting them the authority to live here permanently.
These processes aren’t easy, but for those who navigate them successfully, the results can be transformational—not just personally, but for the communities and industries they impact.
Basketball as an Immigration Success Story: The NBA, one of America’s most iconic institutions, has become a global league not just in audience, but in composition. Nearly 30% of current NBA players were born outside the United States. That’s not just a statistic—it’s a cultural shift. It shows how American sports can thrive by welcoming talent from around the world. Basketball is now a vivid example of what happens when immigration policy and opportunity align: the league gets more competitive and exciting, the fan base becomes more global and inclusive, and the players become ambassadors, bridging cultures and communities. At a time when immigration policy is often framed in terms of crisis or restriction, the NBA offers a compelling counter-narrative: one of contribution, collaboration, and excellence.
From Court to Country: Why This Matters: When Shai Gilgeous-Alexander lifts the MVP trophy, he’s not just representing Oklahoma City or Canada. He’s standing at the intersection of two ideas: sports as a global language and immigration as a powerful engine for growth. His story—and those of Giannis, Jokić, and Embiid, amongst many others—reminds us that talent knows no borders. And when our systems recognize and reward that talent, incredible things can happen. So as we celebrate the rise of international MVPs, we’re also celebrating a broader truth: America’s greatness is deeply tied to the people who come here to contribute—on the court, in classrooms, in labs, in boardrooms, and beyond.
Immigration isn’t just a policy debate. It’s a human story. And in the NBA, it’s playing out in real time—loud, proud, and above the rim. Congrats SGA!
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