Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will take the NBA Championship over the MVP any day
Oklahoma City Thunder All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has earned all the accolades NBA players dream of, from MVP awards to championships. The The Thunder had the fifth most wins on the year of any team in league history in 2025. Sports Illustrated named Gilgeous-Alexander the Sportsman of the Year.
When a reporter asked Gilgeous-Alexander to rank his best moments In 2025, he ranked his first title ahead of his MVP award, according to Sports Illustrated.
Shai Giljus-Alexander is coming off another MVP-caliber season — his third straight after finishing runner-up to Denver Nuggets All-Star Nikola Jokic in 2023-24. Averaging 31.4 points on 59.4% shooting and 6.1 assists, SGA was named to the Western Conference Player of the month for December.
Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder enter 2026 with a league-leading 29-5 record and a three-game winning streak.
Mark Daigneault has ‘strengthened’ his view on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault elaborated on the development of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as an elite NBA scorer. Daigneault discussed Gilgeous-Alexander’s evolution over the years.
“He’s solidified his foundation as a player. The best guys who can score night after night, they have a fixed income that they get every night that’s easy, reliable and always there,” Daigneault said. “I think his commitment to it — his strength — helped with that, with some rebounds and some things around the basket. Then, I think he’s just getting better with his skills and (developing) his game.”
“The best offensive players have a certain base, and then they have things on top of that, and I think he’s starting to mold into that. I think we’re starting to see that with him,” Daigneault concluded.
Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 32.1 points on a career-best 56.3% shooting, including 42% from three, 6.4 assists, 4.7 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game this season.
2026-01-02 21:37:00
