Paul Pierce Named the Only American Player who can Win NBA MVP

The 2025-26 NBA season is already off to a thrilling and dramatic start, and plenty of young stars are beginning to ascend to the top of the league. The headliner a few games into the year has been Victor Wembanyama, who is off to a historic start.

The 7-foot-5 Frenchman is a transcendent talent who should be a dominant force for years to come, continuing a trend of superstar international players.

There is still plenty of American talent, but the last U.S.-born player to win NBA MVP was James Harden in 2018. Since then, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander have all won this award.

The United States is in the middle of its longest MVP drought in NBA history, and there might not be an end in sight, considering the ages of LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Stephen Curry.

Paul Pierce, however, believes there is one player, and one player alone, who can break this drought.

Paul Pierce believes only one American player can win regular-season MVP

Ever since his first-ballot NBA Hall of Famer ended, Pierce has been a fixture in the NBA media landscape. The Boston Celtics‘ legend has never shied away from his controversial takes, but when serious, Pierce is a brilliant basketball mind.

On a recent episode of his podcast, “Ticket & The Truth with Kevin Garnett & Paul Pierce”, the legendary wing identified Anthony Edwards as the only American player who can challenge for the title of best player in the world and the league MVP award.

Anthony Edwards has face of the NBA potential after two straight WCF appearances

Anthony Edwards has been seen as a potential future face of the NBA for a few seasons, and the Minnesota Timberwolves‘ superstar has consistently improved his game each year.

The Atlanta native was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft and has subsequently propelled this franchise back to relevance in the West. Now at age 24, Edwards already has three All-Star appearances and two All-NBA selections to his name.

Ant’s regular-season success has been impressive, but the dynamic shooting guard has generated even more hype with his postseason play.

The Timberwolves superstar has better numbers in almost every relevant statistical category in the playoffs and is coming off two straight Western Conference Finals appearances.

Now, Edwards is trying to cement himself in the same tier as the likes of Nikola Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Giannis Antetokounmpo, but to take that next step, he will have to take another leap in his development.

One area Ant needs to improve is his mid-range game. The young shooting guard shot a career-high 39.5% from three-point range, but just 37.8 percent on two-point jumpers.

This skill is absolutely critical, especially in late-game situations during both the regular season and playoffs. In addition, Edwards’ regular-season stats have not been MVP-caliber to this point in his career.

Still, as of now, Pierce is likely right that Edwards is the best American hope for this award, with a few other potential contenders in the mix.

Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton will both not be in contention due to injuries, but they are players to keep an eye on in the near future.

As for this season, Jalen Brunson and Donovan Mitchell are the first two American names that come to mind outside of Edwards. Meanwhile, Tyrese Maxey is off to a blazing start, while Stephen Curry is still among the best point guards in the world.

There are plenty of sleepers outside these guards, but the preseason favorites for this award are largely the same players who have won it for close to a decade.

Especially with the rise of Gilgeous-Alexander these past few seasons, it’s a tall task for an American to grab this brass ring, but if anyone has the upside to pull off this feat, Pierce has the right player in mind.

Nonetheless, Edwards is already behind the eight-ball this season after straining his hamstring.