For most of the season, OKC Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander appeared to have the MVP award wrapped up -- that is, until San Antonio Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama inserted his voice into the conversation.
His self-advocacy shook the NBA, as many pundits went on record to change their minds about the race.
A recent player poll taken by The Athletic, however, put all that outside noise to rest.
SGA was voted the overwhelming favorite to claim his second-straight Michael Jordan Trophy by 39.0 percent of his peers. No one else received more than 22.0 percent of the votes.
Victor Wembanyama found himself in sixth, drawing a meager 5.0 percent.
For all the Frenchman's outspokenness, the poll served as a cold dose of reality. Votes of confidence from NBA personalities and analysts are one thing, but a vote among peers is entirely different.
The poll seemed to come at a perfect time to remind everyone that Wemby, while undeniably gifted, is still in his third year in the league and has yet to play in a single big game.
After the initial shock of his vocalized campaign wore off, even several pundits began to sour on the big man.
Most notably, Skip Bayless mentioned how he thought Wembanyama was getting a bit full of himself.
"[Wembanyama] is starting to believe he is the alien - that he does already own this league, and, I remind everybody, he still hasn't played one single playoff game in his life," Bayless said.
Bayless had a point. Between the MVP pandering and his antics on the court in big games against teams like the Thunder, he was beginning to walk around like he was already the face of the NBA.
With the latest weigh-in by his peers, he may have been brought down a few pegs.
Thunder superstar here to remind others of their rightful place
Amid the MVP craze featuring various sports writers changing their tune on who is most deserving, SGA has been the only constant in the discussion.
Earlier this week, that fact was recognized by the players.
The poll indicated that Wemby still has a long way to go if he wants to be on the same level as Gilgeous-Alexander, a sobering fact after the Spurs dominated the season series between the two teams.
While the San Antonio star has his team well-positioned to make a serious run this spring, he has now been reminded of his status as the new kid on the playoff block. Until he proves otherwise, he is the underdog, the fiery newcomer with a chip on his shoulder.
In case he wasn't already aware, the people have spoken. The position of top-dog is currently unavailable, and SGA remains supreme until further notice.