Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander joins exclusive 3,000-point club with Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant during NBA Finals showdown vs Indiana Pacers
Image via Getty Images
When Shai Gilgeous-Alexander stepped onto the court Sunday night in Oklahoma City, he wasn't thinking about numbers. But just minutes into Game 2 of the NBA Finals, the reigning MVP made history—again.
With a smooth 10-foot jumper early in the first quarter, Gilgeous-Alexander crossed the 3,000-point mark for the season, combining his regular season and playoff totals. He became just the 12th player in NBA history to ever reach that milestone. For a guy who swears he's only focused on winning, the milestones just keep piling up.
MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander reaches 3,000 points in historic NBA Finals moment
The moment came early, just under four minutes into the first quarter at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
, who entered the night needing only two points to hit the milestone after scoring 38 in Game 1, reached 3,000 with a smooth 10-foot jumper. The bucket wasn't just significant—it was historic.
This marks only the 25th instance in league history where a player has scored 3,000 points in a single season.
Michael Jordan
achieved it a record 10 times—no one else comes close.
Wilt Chamberlain
did it five times during his dominant run in the 1960s. The rest of the elite list features one-time entries: Bob McAdoo (1974–75),
Elgin Baylor
(1962–63),
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
(1971–72), Rick Barry (1966–67),
Shaquille O'Neal
(1993–94), James Harden (2018–19),
Kobe Bryant
(2005–06),
Kevin Durant
(2013–14), and
Luka Doncic
just last season in 2023–24.
by Taboola
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Now, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander joins that storied group.
And he didn't just score—he orchestrated. With more than 600 assists to his name this season, Gilgeous-Alexander becomes just the fourth player ever to pair a 3,000-point season with at least 600 assists, joining Jordan, Harden, and Doncic.
Still, the 26-year-old guard made it clear what matters most. 'I said this so many times,' Gilgeous-Alexander told reporters before Game 2.
'I don't play for the individual stuff. I don't play for anything else besides winning. I never have in my whole life.'
Despite his 38-point performance in Game 1, the Thunder fell short as Tyrese Haliburton drained a buzzer-beater to steal the 111–110 win for Indiana. Gilgeous-Alexander's supporting cast struggled, with the rest of the starters combining to shoot just 16-of-47.
Through 17 playoff games, he's maintained a 30.2 scoring average on 47.1% shooting—even with tighter postseason defense.
His regular season numbers were just as lethal: a league-best 32.7 points per game, along with 6.4 assists, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.7 steals, shooting 51.9% from the field and 37.5% from deep.
Also Read:
'Hopefully I'm somewhere close' — MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander channels Kobe Bryant's legacy in his defining 2025 NBA Finals moment
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander may have made history on Sunday, but he's not one to pause and admire the view. For him, the job's not done—not until the Thunder win it all. Even as his name now sits beside icons like Jordan, Kobe, and Kareem, he remains grounded, focused, and hungry for more. That 3,000-point milestone? Just another stop on the road to a championship. And if his season so far is any indication, he's far from finished.
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