Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was named the 2024-2025 NBA MVP Wednesday afternoon. This comes after a night when he was criticized for shooting too many free throws in game one of the Western Conference Finals. Now, no one can say anything as Shai has something other players don’t: the MVP. Let’s break down why he won the award and just how historic of a season it was.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Named The MVP
For the first time since 2017, the Oklahoma City Thunder have an MVP. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander deserves every bit of this award. He had a spectacular season, averaging 32.7 points, five rebounds, and 6.4 assists, all on 51/37/89 shooting splits. These stats helped the Thunder reach a record of 68-14 during the regular season. This will go down as one of the greatest MVP seasons, but one of the greatest seasons by a guard in NBA history!
Only one other player has had the kind of season Shai had, and that is Michael Jordan. This is an elite company to be part of. Now, Shai joins the other Thunder greats, Russell Westbrook (2016-17) and Kevin Durant (2013-14), to win this award.
Key Stats From the Season
Gilgeous-Alexander finished as the best offensive player this year. He was the scoring champion and ranked first in 30-point, 40-point, and 50-point games—true dominance on one end of the court. He took his game to another level by getting even better at the deep ball. The best part is that he is not even in his prime.
Defense is what separated him from everyone else’s finalists. Shai finished second in steals in the NBA and averaged both a block and a steal a game. Without his defense, this award could have landed somewhere else. He is truly one of the best two-way players in the NBA.
This is just one step toward solidifying his status as the greatest Thunder player ever. He is not done racking up the awards, either, as the All-NBA and All-Defensive teams have yet to be announced. Gilgeous-Alexander has a good chance of making both teams. The only other guard who won all those accolades was Jordan.
What is Next
Shai and the young Thunder still want to win an NBA championship. To do that, they need Gilgeous-Alexander to continue playing at an MVP level. He was subpar in Game 1 against Minnesota, but it is wild to think that a 31-point performance is subpar. He can still become a better shooter, playmaker, and defender.
The offseason will also be short but tedious. As mentioned, the MVP is not even in his prime. He is about to turn 27 and will surely be in the league for another ten years. That is a scary thought for every defender out there. Somehow, the MVP is still getting better.
This is a signal that SGA can become the face of the NBA. All he has to do is win the championship. If he can do that, win the Finals MVP, and bring OKC their first title, it will be Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s league for the next few years. For now, it is congratulations to the Shai for being named the MVP.
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