Victor Wembanyama believes he should be leading the race for the NBA's MVP award and intends to put an end to the debate by the end of the season.

Wembanyama scored 26 points in 26 minutes as the San Antonio Spurs beat the Miami Heat 136-111 on Monday, securing their 22nd win in their last 24 games.

The two-time All-Star shot 11 of 22 from the floor and had 15 rebounds as well as four assists, with San Antonio's commanding lead allowing them to substitute him out early.

The Spurs are second in the Western Conference with a 54-18 record and have already clinched their playoff spot, with only the Oklahoma City Thunder (57-15) having a better record across the entire league.

Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning MVP, is currently considered the favourite to win the award again, with Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers another major contender.

But Wembanyama feels he should be leading the way, saying: "I have thought about it. I think right now, there is a debate, and there should be, even though I think I should lead the race. 

"I'm trying to make sure that at the end of the season, there's no debate."

Asked why he felt that way, Wembanyama cited his defensive work and said the award should not be decided purely on points scored – Wembanyama's 24.3 points per game are the 14th-most in the league, though many of those above him may miss the 65-game minimum to be considered for MVP honours.  

"My first one would be that defense is 50% of the game and that it is undervalued so far in the MVP race. I believe I'm the most impactful player, defensively, in the league," Wembanyama said. 

"The second argument would be that we almost swept OKC in the season, and we dominated them three times with their real team. The third argument would be that offensive impact is not just measured by points."

don't hurt em, Vic 

 @NBAonNBC | @FanDuelSN_SW pic.twitter.com/vHn5T65kRO

— San Antonio Spurs - x (@spurs) March 24, 2026

Spurs coach Mitch Johnson also feels Wembanyama's all-round impact makes him deserving of individual honours. 

"I think he's close," Johnson said. "All those guys you named are deserving; a couple of them already have that award. 

"And I'm very biased. I get to see one of those guys every single night. I get to see him on the practice court. I get to see what he does in the morning. I get to see what does right now, after the game. 

"So, I understand my opinion and outlook and perspective is very different than almost everyone else.

"But he affects so much of the game in every single way, as much as any other player I've ever seen. Take that for what it's worth."