Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Crowned 2025 NBA Most Valuable Player After Historic Season
Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been named the 2025 NBA Most Valuable Player, capping off a career-defining season in which he led the league in scoring and propelled the Thunder to an NBA-best 68 wins.
At 26 years old, Gilgeous-Alexander has earned his first MVP trophy after finishing as runner-up to Nikola Jokic last season. This year, he claimed the award decisively, securing 71 of the 100 available first-place votes. Jokic, the Nuggets’ superstar and three-time MVP, finished second with 29 first-place votes, while Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo came in third.
“You try so hard throughout the season to not think about it and just worry about playing basketball and getting better and trying to win games,” Gilgeous-Alexander told reporters. “But as a competitor and as a kid dreaming about the game, it’s always in the back of your mind.”
Gilgeous-Alexander averaged a league-high 32.7 points per game on an impressive 51.9% shooting from the field. He also added 6.4 assists, 5.0 rebounds, 1.7 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game—becoming only the second player in NBA history, alongside Michael Jordan, to record such all-around numbers in a season. Jordan achieved the feat in his 1987-88 and 1990-91 MVP seasons.
This marks the third consecutive season that Gilgeous-Alexander has averaged at least 30 points on over 50% shooting.
SGA also played a pivotal role in anchoring the Thunder’s top-ranked defence. His 208 combined steals and blocks ranked third league-wide. Gilgeous-Alexander became the 10th player in league history to lead the NBA in scoring for a team that won 60 or more games—an accomplishment that, in nearly every case, resulted in MVP honours.
“His value is his confidence,” said Thunder teammate Kenrich Williams. “His confidence in himself and the confidence he instills in every one of his teammates, including the coaches.”
With this award, Gilgeous-Alexander joins franchise legends Kevin Durant (2014) and Russell Westbrook (2017) as the only MVP winners in Thunder history.
Following his back-to-back First Team All-NBA selections, Gilgeous-Alexander is now eligible to sign a historic four-year, $294 million supermax extension this offseason—the richest annual deal in NBA history at $73.3 million per year.
OKC currently leads the Western Conference Finals 1-0 over the Minnesota Timberwolves. Game 2 is set to take place Thursday evening in Oklahoma City.
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