Key Points Summary – NBA Awards 2025
- NBA Awards 2025: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander narrowly beats Nikola Jokic for MVP.
- Zubac takes Defensive Player of the Year in a hotly debated race.
- Kenny Atkinson stuns with Coach of the Year win over Bickerstaff.
- Risacher leads Rookie of the Year voting with Castle chasing.
- Jalen Brunson shines as the undisputed Clutch King.
- Celtics dominate Sixth Man and All-Defense mentions.
- The All-NBA teams are stacked with superstars, surprises, and snubs.
NBA Awards 2025 Just Dropped – And We’re Shaking Our Heads!
Ladies and gentlemen, strap in. The NBA Awards 2025 ballot has landed like a fast-break dunk to the face — and it’s got everyone from courtside fans to ex-coaches screaming at the top of their lungs. This year’s choices? A stunning mix of brilliance, bias, and just plain ballsy calls.
From an MVP race that came down to the wire, to rookies you’ve barely heard of grabbing trophies, and a Sixth Man pick that’ll have Knicks fans throwing their remotes — this list reads more like fan fiction than fact.
So let’s dive in and roast — ahem, we mean, review — every juicy detail of the 2025 final ballot.
MVP 2025: The Thunderbolt vs. The Joker – And the Thunderbolt Wins!
It was supposed to be Nikola Jokic’s coronation. Again. After all, the man practically lives on the MVP shortlist. But nope. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said “not today,” snatched the trophy, and left the NBA world in collective shock.
Sure, Gilgeous-Alexander dropped 32.7 points per game, dragged the Thunder to a 68-win season, and led the most efficient offense in the league. But Jokic? Triple-double machine. Top 3 in points, rebounds, assists. Shooting percentages that read like a fantasy cheat code. Oh — and he carried Denver like a backpack full of bowling balls.
But voters got sentimental. They saw Gilgeous-Alexander as the fresh prince of Oklahoma. And they wanted a new face holding the golden ball. Sorry, Jokic. Maybe next year. Or the year after that. Or… who are we kidding? He’ll be back.
NBA Awards 2025: Defensive Player of the Year: Zubac Beats Mobley, Internet Explodes
In a world where Victor Wembanyama was supposed to walk away with this award, life had other plans. Medical ones. With the Spurs’ unicorn sidelined, the race got chaotic — and in the end, Ivica Zubac stood tall. Literally.
Mobley did everything — guarded all five positions, anchored Cleveland, played like a mutant spider with wings. But Zubac had more minutes, more consistency, and was the rock behind the Clippers’ suffocating defense.
Social media is still in flames over this one. Half of Twitter thinks Mobley was robbed. The other half doesn’t know Zubac’s name. But here we are.
Coach of the Year: Kenny Atkinson Takes It All — Yes, Really
Get this — the Coach of the Year wasn’t from Boston, wasn’t from Denver, wasn’t from LA. It was Kenny Atkinson, the quiet genius from Cleveland. He turned a “maybe they’ll be decent” team into a 64-win monster with home-court advantage.
J.B. Bickerstaff tripled the Pistons’ win total, Ime Udoka took the Rockets to the second seed in the West, and Tyronn Lue kept the Clippers relevant through Kawhi Leonard’s ghost act. But Atkinson outcoached them all. Nobody expected it. That’s why it stings.
Rookie of the Year: Risacher Rules, Castle Stalks, Wells Breaks In
No Wemby. No Holmgren. And no rookies from outer space this time. But the top pick Zaccharie Risacher quietly did his job — 14 points per game, efficient shooting, playoff-bound team. He’s not flashy. He’s effective.
Castle came close with bigger responsibility in San Antonio, but Risacher had the edge. Jaylen Wells? A second-rounder who almost stole the show before a brutal wrist injury. Still made the top three. What a season for the overlooked and under-hyped.
Most Improved Player: Mobley Makes the Leap, Award Still Makes No Sense
Let’s be real — nobody actually knows what this award means. Is it for players who sucked last year and don’t anymore? Stars who become superstars? Guys who finally got minutes?
This year, Evan Mobley won it for turning into an All-NBA beast. Zubac came second because, apparently, he improved at everything. And Austin Reaves rounded out the trio after vibing with Luka in LA and dropping huge numbers during the Lakers’ late-season charge.
Congrats, guys. We’re still confused.
Sixth Man of the Year: Pritchard Parties in Boston, Knicks Fans Riot
No contest here — Payton Pritchard owned this award. He was the firestarter off Boston’s bench, drilling threes, sparking runs, and being the sneaky third-best Celtic. Clutch, gritty, and always ready to roast a defender or two.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Malik Beasley grabbed runner-up spots, but the buzz is all about Boston. And if you’re wondering where the Knicks’ bench players are… join the angry mob in Times Square.
Clutch Player of the Year: Brunson Dials In, Jokic Calmly Destroys, Young Lights It Up
This one felt right. Jalen Brunson was ice-cold in close games, snatching wins from the jaws of despair on a nightly basis. Jokic? A silent assassin as usual. Trae Young? A fourth-quarter monster who handed out assists like Halloween candy.
LeBron was in the conversation, but the voters wanted youth. So Brunson got his flowers — and probably a few future endorsement deals too.
All-NBA Teams: The Usual Suspects… Plus Some Chaos
First Team? As expected: Gilgeous-Alexander, Jokic, Giannis, Tatum, Brunson. No drama there.
Second Team? Stephen Curry and LeBron, still elite at 37+. Anthony Edwards dropped 320 threes and earned his spot. Mobley and Mitchell repped Cleveland again.
Third Team? Harden reminded everyone he’s still James freaking Harden. Cade Cunningham finally broke out. KAT as a Knick? Still weird. Jalen Williams and Jaren Jackson rounded things out.
Snubs? Always. Debates? Endless.
All-Defense and All-Rookie: Youth Rules, Vets Hold the Line
All-Defense First Team had Zubac, Mobley, Jackson, Dyson Daniels, and Amen Thompson. Two rookies? Madness. But also… impressive.
Second Team included Rudy Gobert and Draymond Green, still locking down at grandpa age. Luguentz Dort got his first nod. Derrick White and Jalen Williams rounded it out.
All-Rookie Teams gave love to Risacher, Castle, Wells, Ware, and Edey. Second Team had more new blood, with Yves Missi and Alex Sarr getting their spotlight.
NBA Awards 2025: Final Whistle
There you have it. The full, unfiltered rundown of the NBA Awards 2025 ballot. It’s got everything — upsets, underdogs, old legends, new kings, and voters who clearly don’t sleep.
Love it or hate it, these are your award winners. Cue the celebrations. Cue the debates. And cue the angry TikToks and Reddit threads. It’s award season, baby — and the NBA just delivered a full-court press of chaos.
Your move, 2026.
