TPBL Announces MVP Finalists: Kao Chin-wei, Oscar Kao, and Mohammad Al Bachir Gadiaga in Contention

(CNA, Taipei, May 20, by reporter Chen Jung-chen) The Taiwan Professional Basketball League (TPBL) today announced the list of nominees for the 2025-26 season's Most Valuable Player (MVP) award, with Kao Chin-wei of the Taoyuan Taiwan Beer Leopards, Oscar Kao of the Hsinchu Toplus Lioneers, and Mohammad Al Bachir Gadiaga of the New Taipei CTBC DEA vying for the prize. The TPBL stated that this season's MVP selection employs a weighted mechanism combining votes from the media and fans. The top three based on overall vote percentage were chosen as the final nominees, considering the players' season-long performance, team record, and impact on games, aiming to present this season's most representative core players from multiple perspectives. Ultimately, Kao Chin-wei, Oscar Kao, and Mohammad Al Bachir Gadiaga emerged to compete for the MVP award. Among them, Kao Chin-wei played in 36 games this season, averaging 14.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 4.9 assists per game. As the team's primary offensive initiator, he led the Leopards to maintain stable performance throughout the season and advance to the playoffs as the regular-season leader. He has shown a high level of maturity in his court control and command of game rhythm, making him a top contender for the award. The TPBL noted that the three nominees each have distinct characteristics. Kao Chin-wei is a benchmark in terms of team record and court control, Mohammad Al Bachir Gadiaga is known for his scoring bursts and offensive impact, while Oscar Kao has demonstrated an all-around comeback and contributions on both offense and defense. This makes this season's MVP competition one with multifaceted evaluation criteria. The final winner will be officially announced at a subsequent awards ceremony. (Editor: Chang Ya-ching) 1150520