Greek-Nigerian forward Giannis Antetokounmpo reiterated his status as Africa's biggest NBA star in December, leading the Milwaukee Bucks to the NBA Cup.
However, power forward/center Victor Wembanyama, who has ties to DR Congo through his father, is breathing down his neck in the race to be the biggest star in the league with ties to Africa. The 20-year-old grows month on month and is now a genuine player to watch in the MVP race.
Jonathan Kuminga (DR Congo), Pascal Siakam and Yves Missi (both Cameroon) also had moments to remember in December.
African Player of the Month: Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks)
Antetokounmpo starred for the Bucks in their NBA Cup final win over Oklahoma City Thunder with 26 points, 19 rebounds and 10 assists, proving again that he is one of the NBA stars most capable of contributing in all aspects on the court.
Not only was Antetokounmpo the NBA Cup MVP, but he is also the main challenger to Nikola Jokić for the league MVP. December saw Antetokounmpo average 32.1 points, 10.7 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 1.7 blocks and 1.1 steals per game in the league, even apart from his cup brilliance.
Antetokounmpo was the NBA MVP in 2019 and 2020, and a champion and finals MVP in 2021. In terms of Africans in the MVP race, he has generally played second fiddle to Cameroon's Joel Embiid in recent years, but this season he is indisputably Africa's frontrunner.
Giannis Antetokounmpo says the Bucks' sights are set on bigger goals after winning the NBA Cup.
African Moment of the Month: Victor Wembanyama (San Antonio Spurs)
Wembanyama's December form was almost on par with Antetokounmpo's and, at this rate, last season's Rookie of the Year will soon be the new face of the league -- let alone the next star with ties to Africa.
The big man's Christmas performance against New York Knicks was the standout moment for the NBA in December. In his first NBA Christmas game, Wemby dropped 42 points, collected 18 rebounds, and made four blocks and four assists.
Wembanyama -- a contender for Defensive Player of the Year last season -- is by far the league's best shot blocker this season. He averaged 4.5 blocks per game in December, and averages 3.9 for the season. His nearest competitor across the league in that department, Utah Jazz 's Walker Kessler, averages 2.8.
Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama plays chess at Washington Square Park in New York City.
Most Improved African Player of the Month: Jonathan Kuminga (Golden State Warriors)
Kuminga had a tough start to this season after a breakout campaign in 2023-24, but December saw him play exactly like a player who was regarded among the most talented in his age group as he entered the NBA.
The forward/guard from Goma averaged 21.0 points per game and 6.3 rebounds per game in December, with three 30-point outings. After scoring 33 points with 7 rebounds in a 99-93 Golden State Warriors win vs. Houston Rockets early in the month, he had back-to-back 30+ performances three weeks later.
Kuminga's 34 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists against LA Clippers came in a 102-92 defeat, but he followed up with 34 points and 9 rebounds in a 109-105 win over Phoenix Suns.
Honorable Mentions:
Indiana Pacers' Pascal Siakam's quality is no secret, but the Cameroonian power forward had one game in particular in December that is worthy of special mention.
Siakam led the Pacers to a 120-111 victory over the Suns with 25 points and 18 rebounds just under a fortnight ago. The game saw Siakam and Kevin Durant play out of their skin for their respective teams, with the Cameroonian coming out on top.
Siakam's compatriot -- the New Orleans Pelicans' rookie center Yves Missi -- also had a superb December. He averaged 11.2 points per game and 10.0 rebounds per game, with his standout performance coming in a 124-112 loss to Atlanta Hawks. In that game, Missi scored 23 points with 12 rebounds and he continues to rise higher month after month as one of the season's surprise packages.