Shai wins NBA MVP again: “It’s bigger than me”
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander captures the second MVP award of his career after another extraordinary season with OKC. Historic numbers and increasingly legendary comparisons continue to follow him
Once again, it’s him. For the second straight year, the NBA MVP award belongs to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, leader of the Oklahoma City Thunder and now firmly established as one of the faces of the league.
The Canadian star won the award almost unanimously, receiving 83 out of 100 first-place votes and finishing ahead of Nikola Jokic and Victor Wembanyama, the other two finalists.
At 27 years old, SGA joins an incredibly exclusive group. Over the last 40 years, only a handful of superstars have won multiple MVPs before turning 28: Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Tim Duncan, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Jokic. Not exactly bad company.
During the press conference held at the Thunder practice facility, Gilgeous-Alexander reflected on what the achievement means to him:
It’s something special. All of those players changed basketball and the way the game is played. To even be mentioned alongside them is something I don’t take lightly. I’m truly grateful
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
The atmosphere, much like last season, was relaxed and family-oriented. Every teammate was there alongside him, dressed in Burberry trench coats and wearing Audemars Piguet watches gifted directly by SGA.
Shai’s season was remarkable in every possible way. He finished with:
- 31.1 points per game
- 6.6 assists per game
- 55.3% shooting from the field, the best mark of his career
Numbers that helped carry Oklahoma City to the NBA’s best record for the second consecutive season: 64 wins and just 18 losses.
And that’s not all. After winning Finals MVP last season, SGA also took home the Clutch Player of the Year award this year, once again proving unstoppable in crunch time.
No player in the NBA scored more clutch points than him: 175 clutch points, 16 go-ahead field goals, and an incredible +93 plus-minus in high-leverage possessions.
This marks the fourth straight season Gilgeous-Alexander has finished inside the top 5 of MVP voting. First fifth place, then runner-up, and now back-to-back MVP trophies.
Despite the individual accolades, SGA immediately shifted the focus back to the team and the culture built in Oklahoma City:
Part of all this is also luck. In the NBA, you can’t control the other people involved in this business. I’m lucky to be surrounded by incredible people – from the front office to the coaching staff to my teammates. Everybody wants to see the next person succeed. It’s something bigger than me
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
And the Thunder won’t have much time to celebrate. The series against Victor Wembanyama’s Spurs is right around the corner, and Oklahoma City wants to keep its run going.