OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma City Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander wins back-to-back MVPs.
Gilgeous-Alexander wins his second NBA MVP Award after leading the Thunder to 64 wins while averaging 31.1 points on absurd efficiency. With the league award finalists announced last month, voters had a choice between SGA, Denver Nuggets Nikola Jokic, or San Antonio Spurs Victor Wembanyama.
They chose the best player on the best team. It’s hard to argue with that logic (unless you’re preparing a five-hour Jokic podcast episode in your basement).
Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Wins 2025-26 NBA MVP Award
A Season That Left Little Room For Debate
Shai won back-to-back MVPs because every part of his game somehow became sharper. The scoring went up a notch as well as his efficiency. The footwork already looked like a jazz musician dribbling a basketball. SGA further refined his ability to control games, OKC playing like a team completely aware it had the best closer in basketball. In fact, Gilgeous-Alexander was the best closer in the league as he won the Clutch Player of the Year award just weeks ago.
Now, the 27-year-old joins this list of legendary back-to-back MVP winners: Jokic, Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Moses Malone, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Tim Duncan, Steve Nash, LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Giannis Antetokounmpo. That’s not company. That’s basketball royalty with enough combined aura to power a small country.
The only players to ever win back-to-back MVPs and back-to-back titles are Russell, Jordan and LeBron. Gilgeous-Alexander has a chance to join them this year. The Thunder are 8-0 in the playoffs so far despite missing Jalen Williams for six games. That’s terrifying.
The Spurs Stand Between SGA And History
Next up for Oklahoma City is a Western Conference Finals matchup against the San Antonio Spurs. Game 1 starts Monday at 8:30 PM ET. Wembanyama versus SGA already sounds like the kind of rivalry NBA historians will romanticize twenty years from now.
For now though, Shai wins his second MVP and sits eight wins away from entering a different tier of greatness entirely.
Credit:© Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
