According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Oklahoma City Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has won his first NBA MVP Award.
Gilgeous-Alexander, who is expected to officially be announced as the recipient of the award tonight at 7 PM EST on TNT, is fresh off a 31-point performance in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals, in which he led OKC to a 114-88 win over the Minneosta Timberwolves to take a 1-0 series lead.
Gilgeous-Alexander, 26, finished second in MVP voting last season and fifth in 2023-24.
In his seventh season, Gilgeous-Alexander led OKC to an NBA-best 68-14 record, averaging 33 points, six assists, five rebounds, and 1.7 steals. He was widely expected to win the award following his historic regular-season performance, but it was given out later than in past seasons, leading some OKC fans to start to worry.
Regardless of the timing, Gilgeous-Alexander has officially won an MVP award, joining Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant as those in Thunder history to do so.
With a 1-0 series lead over Minnesota, Gilgeous-Alexander has a chance to lead the Thunder to its first NBA Championship in franchise history. Should he do so, he will etch his name in a short list of all-time greats who have won the MVP and the NBA Finals in the same season.
