With Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander winning the 2024-25 Kia NBA Most Valuable Player award, the league’s top individual honor has been won by an international player for the seventh straight season and 13 times overall by eight different players.

Below is a list of the eight players born outside the U.S. to win league MVP.

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The Houston Rockets center from Nigeria became the first international player to win MVP honors. Arriving in the U.S. to play college ball at Houston, Olajuwon was the first international player selected as the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft by the Houston Rockets in 1984.

The San Antonio Spurs center was born in the U.S. Virgin Islands, growing up in Saint Croix before coming to the U.S. for college at Wake Forest. He was selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the 1997 NBA Draft by the San Antonio Spurs and played his entire 19-year career.

The Phoenix Suns guard was born in South Africa but grew up in Canada before coming to the U.S to play college ball at Santa Clara. Nash was selected No. 15 overall in the 1996 NBA Draft by Phoenix, where he played for two seasons before being traded to Dallas. After six seasons in Dallas, Nash returned to Phoenix as a free agent, where he won his two consecutive MVPs.

The Dallas Mavericks forward grew up in Germany where he began his professional career before being selected No. 9 overall in the 1998 NBA Draft. Nowitzki was selected by Milwaukee Bucks and traded to the Mavs on Draft night. He’s the first international MVP to forgo coming to the U.S. to play college basketball.

The Milwaukee Bucks forward was born and raised in Greece by Nigerian parents. He played professionally in Greece for two years before being selected No. 15 overall in the 2013 NBA Draft by Milwaukee, where he has spent his entire NBA career.

The Denver Nuggets center was born and raised in Serbia and began his professional career in his home country for Mega Basket. He was selected No. 41 overall by the Nuggets in 2014 and began his NBA career the following year. He is one of just two players selected in the second round to ever win the honor and the first international player to win three MVPs.

The Philadelphia 76ers center was born and raised in Cameroon and did not begin playing basketball until age 15. Discovered at a basketball camp in Cameroon, Embiid was invited to participate in the NBA’s Basketball Without Borders camp in South Africa, which led to him coming to the U.S. for high school and college at Kansas before Philly made him the No. 3 pick in the 2014 NBA Draft.

The Oklahoma City guard was born and raised in Toronto, Canada before coming to the U.S. for his final two years of high school. He would go on to star at the University of Kentucky before being drafted No. 11 overall in 2018 by the Charlotte Hornets and traded to the LA Clippers on draft night. After his rookie season in LA, Gilgeous-Alexander was traded to Oklahoma City, where he became a multi-time All-Star and league MVP.