Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has added another major milestone to his career, earning his second consecutive NBA Most Valuable Player award after leading the Oklahoma City Thunder to the league’s best regular-season record. He is now among a select group of players to win back-to-back MVP awards, joining names such as Nikola Jokić, LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Giannis Antetokounmpo; and has also become just the 16th player in league history to earn multiple MVP trophies.
ESPN's Shams Charania broke the news, reporting: "Oklahoma City Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has won his second consecutive NBA Most Valuable Player award, becoming the 14th player in league history to win back-to-back MVPs"
The 27-year-old guard helped Oklahoma City finish 64-18 for a second straight year while putting together one of the NBA’s most efficient offensive seasons. Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 31.1 points per game — second only to Luka Dončić — while also contributing 6.6 assists, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per contest. He shot 55.3% from the field, 38.6% from three-point range, and nearly 88% from the free-throw line. The Thunder star also set an NBA record with 127 consecutive games scoring at least 20 points, surpassing a mark previously held by Wilt Chamberlain.
While his scoring average dipped slightly from last season, his efficiency improved dramatically. Gilgeous-Alexander became only the second player ever, alongside Kevin Durant, to post those shooting percentages while taking more than 250 shots in a season. Along with his MVP awards, Gilgeous-Alexander’s growing résumé includes an NBA Finals MVP, multiple All-NBA First Team selections, four All-Star appearances, and the league’s Clutch Player of the Year award.
Editorial credit: Charles Mann / Shutterstock.com