The case for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was easy. He’s the most effective participant on an Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder workforce that had the most effective document this season and set a league mark for margin of victory. If that wasn’t sufficient, he additionally received the scoring title.
Gilgeous-Alexander was introduced Wednesday because the NBA’s Most Useful Participant, his first time successful the award. It’s now seven straight years {that a} participant born outdoors the U.S. received MVP, extending the longest such streak in league historical past.
And when it occurred, Gilgeous-Alexander stated a lifetime of moments — getting reduce, traded, neglected, celebrating, the wins, the great instances — all flooded into his thoughts.
“I don’t assume there’s sufficient emphasis on how a lot off the court docket influences on the court docket,” Gilgeous-Alexander stated. “And as soon as I turned higher off the court docket my profession began to skyrocket. It’s no coincidence.”
It in the end was a two-person race. Gilgeous-Alexander received 71 first-place votes and 29 second-place votes; Denver’s Nikola Jokic received the opposite 29 first-place votes and the opposite 71 second-place votes.
Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo was third, getting 88 of the 100 doable third-place votes.
Gilgeous-Alexander — the No. 11 decide within the 2018 draft — averaged 32.7 factors, 6.4 assists and 5 rebounds per sport this season, main the Thunder to a 68-14 document. The Thunder outscored groups by 12.9 factors per sport, the largest margin in league historical past.
He turns into the second Canadian to win MVP; Steve Nash received it twice.
“He set the inspiration,” Gilgeous-Alexander stated of Nash. “He was the primary Canadian basketball participant I knew of. And with out seeing guys go to the NBA from Canada, it wouldn’t have been as a lot of a dream because it was for us as youngsters rising up. So, to be in a dialog with a man like that and what he has meant to not solely basketball however to the nation of Canada, it’s particular.”
And Gilgeous-Alexander is the primary guard to win MVP since James Harden in 2018.
“His worth is his confidence,” Oklahoma Metropolis’s Kenrich Williams stated of Gilgeous-Alexander, his Thunder teammate for the final 5 seasons. “His confidence that he has in himself and the boldness that he instills in each one among his teammates, together with the coaches.”
Jokic — a winner of three of the final 4 MVP awards — was second, regardless of a season for the ages. He averaged 29.6 factors, 12.7 rebounds and 10.2 assists per sport, the primary heart to common a triple-double and the primary participant since all these stats have been tracked to complete within the NBA’s prime three in all three of these classes.
It was the sixth occasion of a participant ending a season averaging a triple-double — at the least 10 factors, 10 assists and 10 rebounds per sport. Russell Westbrook did it 4 instances and Oscar Robertson as soon as, however solely a type of triple-double seasons led to an MVP win.
“He’s a particular participant,” Jokic stated of Gilgeous-Alexander earlier this week when the Thunder eliminated the Nuggets within the Western Convention semifinals. “His shot choice, his shot functionality … he’s at all times there. He’s a particular participant.”
Antetokounmpo, who averaged 30.4 factors, 11.9 rebounds and 6.5 assists per sport, was third. He began this run of worldwide gamers successful MVP; Antetokounmpo, of Greek and Nigerian descent, received in 2019 and 2020.
Jokic, a Serbian, received in 2021, 2022 and 2024. And Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid, who was born in Cameroon however since turned a U.S. citizen, received the award in 2023.
Now, it’s Gilgeous-Alexander — a son of Ontario, the place hockey reigns — carrying the MVP flag. He was fifth within the voting two years in the past, second behind Jokic final 12 months, and used being so near the award as gasoline this season.
“There are voters yearly. That may by no means change,” Gilgeous-Alexander stated on TNT through the broadcast when the outcomes have been revealed. “And final 12 months, all it meant was that extra individuals thought I shouldn’t have received than ought to have received. This 12 months I wished to vary the narrative and have it flipped. I feel I did a great job of that.”
Boston’s Jayson Tatum was fourth, Cleveland’s Donovan Mitchell was fifth and the Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James was sixth — the twentieth time in his 22-year profession that he received some MVP votes.
Detroit’s Cade Cunningham and Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards tied for seventh, Golden State’s Stephen Curry was ninth and three gamers — the Los Angeles Clippers’ Harden, New York’s Jalen Brunson and Cleveland’s Evan Mobley — tied for tenth.
The MVP award, like most different NBA honors, was voted on by a world panel of 100 writers and broadcasters who cowl the league and solid ballots shortly earlier than the beginning of the playoffs.
The opposite awards that have been a part of that voting course of and have already been unveiled: Cleveland’s Kenny Atkinson successful coach of the year, Atlanta’s Dyson Daniels successful most improved player, San Antonio’s Stephon Fort successful rookie of the year, Cleveland’s Evan Mobley successful defensive player of the year, New York’s Jalen Brunson successful clutch player of the year and Boston’s Payton Pritchard successful sixth man of the year.
Different awards introduced by the league because the finish of the common season: Golden State’s Stephen Curry received the Twyman-Stokes teammate of the year award, Warriors teammate Draymond Inexperienced received the hustle award, Oklahoma Metropolis’s Sam Presti received executive of the year and Boston’s Jrue Vacation received the sportsmanship award for the second time in his profession in addition to the league’s social justice award.
The award got here at a worth for Gilgeous-Alexander, who’s in line for an extension that can simply prime $300 million and will even see him make about $1 million per regular-season sport in 2030-31 and 2031-32.
He promised teammates watches if he received the MVP; these guys have these watches now, they usually deserve all that and extra, he stated.
“That is nothing in comparison with what they’ve been to me,” Gilgeous-Alexander stated. “I’d slightly have the MVP over a Rolex every single day of the week and with out them, I wouldn’t have the MVP.”
