Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards headed to the locker room after the first quarter of Game 1 of the West finals against Thunder with an apparent ankle injury.

The last time an American-born player walked away with the top honor was James Harden in 2018. The run of international players winning MVP -- Gilgeous-Alexander is from Canada -- speaks to the expanding global reach of the NBA and the increased number of talent outside of the United States.

Two years ago, as Jalen Brunson emerged as an All-Star point guard for the NBA's New York Knicks, the head coach of the WNBA's Las Vegas Aces, Becky Hammon, declared on an ESPN panel, " If your best player is small, you’re not winning. John Stockton, Allen Iverson, Steve Nash. You could go down the list."

Minnesota led by four at the half but the Thunder defense sparked a 17-2 run in the third quarter that changed the game.