Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander wins first NBA MVP award
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the Oklahoma City Thunder superstar guard who led his team to the NBA's best record, was named the league's most valuable player during Wednesday's "NBA on TNT Pregame Show."
Gilgeous-Alexander, 26, is the third Thunder player to win the MVP. Kevin Durant took home the honors in 2014 and Russell Westbrook won it in 2017.
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It's the seventh consecutive season a foreign-born player has won the award, as Gilgeous-Alexander is a native of Canada.
ANALYSIS: Why Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander should win NBA MVP
OPINION: Slow start doesn't shake Shai: Thunder star struts MVP moxie in Game 1
ESPN first reported the news.
Led by Gilgeous-Alexander, the Thunder won 68 regular-season games, including going 29-1 against the Eastern Conference, winning games by an average of 12.9 points per game and outscoring their opponents by 1,055 points.
Gilgeous-Alexander also won his first scoring title, averaging 32.1 points per game, including a streak where he scored 20 or more points in 72 consecutive games. He also averaged five rebounds and a career-high 6.4 assists, and his value was not only on the offensive end but defensively as well, as Oklahoma City was first in defensive rating and third in offensive rating.
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Gilgeous-Alexander finished ahead of Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, who won the award last season. Jokic averaged 29.6 points, 12.7 rebounds, and 10.2 assists per game, finishing in the top three in each category, while leading the league in performance efficiency rating. Jokic recorded an NBA-high 34 triple-doubles this season and is the third player in NBA history to average a triple-double for a season, joining Oscar Robertson and Westbrook.
Gilgeous-Alexander received 71 first-place votes (worth 10 points) and 29 second-place votes (worth seven points) to win the award with 913 points. Jokic received the other 29 first-place votes and 71 second-place votes to finish with 787 points. Giannis Antetokounmpo finished in third (470 points), marking the seventh consecutive year he's finished in the top four. Jayson Tatum placed fourth (311 points) and Donovan Mitchell rounded out the top five (74 points).
A two-time first-team All-NBA performer, Gilgeous-Alexander is eligible to sign a four-year, $293 million supermax extension this summer. He made $35.8 million this year, and is scheduled to take home $38.3 million and $40.8 million in the final two years of his current contract, which he signed in 2021.
NBA MVP voting
Check out the full voting totals below:
Watch: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander wins MVP
See the moment Gilgeous-Alexander was officially named the 2024-25 NBA MVP, and what he said:
Editor's note: The NBA MVP award is voted on by 100 members of the media, chosen by the league. Voting takes place before the postseason. USA TODAY Sports reporter Jeff Zillgitt has a vote.
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(This story has been updated with new information).
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder guard, wins NBA MVP
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