
Hamilton's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander wins NBA MVP award over Nikola Jokic
It is the true sporting genius who can impose their will on a game, on a season, in the same fashion all the time and continue to succeed at it.
Nba
50 shades of Shai: How Gilgeous-Alexander is reaching new scoring heights in his best NBA season
In one five-week span, the Thunder superstar had four games of 50 or more points, one of the most blistering stretches of NBA scoring in recent years.
Nba
50 shades of Shai: How Gilgeous-Alexander is reaching new scoring heights in his best NBA season
In one five-week span, the Thunder superstar had four games of 50 or more points, one of the most blistering stretches of NBA scoring in recent years.
A perfect example is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the Hamilton-raised, Oklahoma City Thunder point guard who was announced Wednesday as this season's most valuable player in the NBA.
Everyone — opponents, teammates, fans — knows he wants to slither his way to the elbow where the paint meets the free-throw line to knock down 12- to 15-foot jump shots with metronomic consistency.
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Those same observers know that he can snake his way through a maze of large defenders, initiate contact driving to the basket, take a hit, make a basket and saunter to the free-throw line and make a foul shot.
It is his brilliance and why he was judged the best player in the NBA, becoming the second Canadian to win the annual award.
The Thunder point guard beat out finalists Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets and Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo in voting by 100 media representatives who regular cover the league.
Gilgeous-Alexander got 71 first-place votes, Jokic got the other 29 of the 100. Antetokounmpo received 88 third-place votes.
Full disclosure: My five-man ballot, in order, from which the three finalists were culled was Gilgeous-Alexander, Jokic, Antetokounmpo, Boston's Jayson Tatum and Donovan Mitchell of Cleveland.
Gilgeous-Alexander, finishing his seventh season, is now eligible for 'super max' contract extensions that will put him in the salary stratosphere. He could sign a four-year extension worth $293 million (U.S.) this summer or wait to be eligible for a five-year, $380-million deal after the 2025-26 season.
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'You try so hard throughout the season to not think about it and just worry about playing basketball and getting better and trying to win games but as a competitor and as a kid dreaming about the game, it's always in the back of your mind and I'm very thankful to be at this side of, I guess, the ballot,' Gilgeous-Alexander said in a TNT interview, sitting in front of his teammates at the Thunder practice facility.
'But none of this is possible without the guys behind me. The amount of games we won (68) and the fashion that we won the games is so impressive and it's mainly the reason why I got this award.'
The 26-year-old Gilgeous-Alexander has grown into one of the era's best players through a meticulous work ethic, daily dedication to honing his skills and a personality that won't allow him to put himself before his team.
He is confident, of course, but never seeks the spotlight that shines so brightly on him.
'He also wants to be one of the guys,' Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault said earlier this month. 'He just wants to operate like another member of the team. You see him walk around the building, he doesn't walk around the building any differently than anybody else.
'He wants to blend into the organization, blend into the team the same way everybody else does. And I just think that balance is very unique.'
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Unique, too, are his skills, which blossomed this season like never before. He led the NBA in scoring, averaging 32.7 points per game and shooting 51.9 per cent from the field, 37.5 per cent from three-point range and 89.8 per cent from the free-throw line on an NBA-best 8.8 foul shots per game. He was part of the NBA's best defensive team as well and averaged 1.7 steals per game.
There are critics who denigrate Gilgeous-Alexander's skills because they see him as someone who hunts fouls, embellishes contact and lives at the free-throw line. It's lost on them, it seems, that Gilgeous-Alexander plays the same style, game after game, and the best defenders in the league can't find a way to consistently stop him. Maybe opponents and fans should find a solution to his skills rather than complain about them.
'I always marvel at his ability to get himself back to zero after every game,' Daigneault told reporters earlier this spring. 'Usually, he's doing it after a great game. That's his secret sauce.
'When he fails, he doesn't point fingers. He doesn't pout. He's not angry. He just gets himself ready to play again.'
In many ways, Gilgeous-Alexander replicates the character of Steve Nash, the only other Canadian to be named the NBA's MVP.
Both are selfless and more worried about team success than personal accolades even though both are and were near maniacal about preparation and setting standards for their teammates to match.
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'He's an absolute master of his craft, and that comes from hard work,' Nash said on a podcast earlier this month. 'That comes from really intentional, purposeful work … A big admiration for him.
'Not just how he's gotten there but how he handles himself … A guy that the league should be putting (out as its face) everywhere.'
It is not as if Gilgeous-Alexander won out easily over his main rival. Jokic, the MVP in 2021, 2022 and 2024, had a truly incredible regular season, averaging 29.6 points, 12.7 rebounds and 10.2 assists per game for the Nuggets, who lost a seven-game, second-round playoff series to Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder.
Jokic seems to toy with the game, bending it to his whim and immeasurable skills every time he's on the court.
Gilgeous-Alexander's election continues an incredible run for him. He was an MVP finalist for the award three years ago and finished runner-up to Jokic in 2023-24. Gilgeous-Alexander was also named to the first-team, all-NBA team in two consecutive seasons and is certain to be get the same honour this season.
The result a year ago drove him.
'To be honest with you, I used it as motivation,' Gilgeous-Alexander said in the television interview. 'Last year, all it meant was that more people thought I shouldn't win than I should win, and this year I wanted to change the narrative and have it flipped. I think I did good job of that.'
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At home, he led Canada to a historic bronze medal at the 2023 FIBA World Cup and led the 3-1 Canadian team to the quarterfinals of the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Gilgeous-Alexander was also awarded the Northern Star Award as Canada's athlete of the year in 2023 and has already committed to play for Canada through the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
'It's amazing playing in front of people that are from where I'm from, grew up the way I grew up, seeing the same things I've seen,' said Gilgeous-Alexander, who was born in Toronto and raised in Hamilton. 'It's like a little connection. Obviously … we share a common bond. It's cool.
'I'm proud to be Canadian, to play in front of Canadians, the special feeling whether I know them or not.'
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Winnipeg Free Press
2 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Retired autoworker (Gentleman) Jim Long loving life on the professional darts tour
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Long and Hamilton's Matt (Ginjaninja) Campbell, who earned his tour card in 2022, lost their opening match 4-1 to Malaysia's Tengku Shah and Tan Jenn Ming on Thursday. Tenth-seeded Canada continues Group F play Friday against Denmark at the Eissporthalle Frankfurt, home of the Löwen Frankfurt hockey team. Forty countries are competing with the top four seeds — defending champion England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland — given a bye to the second round where they will be joined by the 12 group winners. The tournament offers 450,000 pounds ($832,900) in prize money, ranging from 4,000 pounds ($7,405) for the team that finishes last in its opening-round group to 80,000 pounds ($148,075) for the winning duo. It's Long's second trip to the World Cup of Darts. He competed with Dawson Murschell in 2019, making the quarterfinals in Hamburg after upsetting fifth-seeded Australia. Long and Campbell are good friends. Before Campbell, a former welder, turned pro, he and Long would meet up twice a month 'to sharpen each other up and play.' Long is loving life on tour, although the travel, jet lag and logistics have proved challenging. 'I'm having the best time. Fun doesn't quite cover it even,' he said in an interview. 'The travel is exhausting … But the excitement of playing and walking into the venue with 127 other professional darts players, the guys that I watched on TV and I continue to watch on TV now, it's still exhilarating for me. 'The guys are friendly. You'd be surprised, the top guys, they're just friendly and they'll talk to you just like you're one of the group.' World No. 14 Peter (Snakebite) Wright, a two-time world champion known for his colourful Mohawk, had him stay over during one of his trips. 'When I get home I'm usually thinking when do I get to go back?' said Long. He calls it the 'perfect retirement plan.' Long's goal is to enjoy the experience — and hopefully break even on his travels. 'I found that so far I'm not playing as good as I'd like but I'm winning matches … I've done OK money-wise,' he said. 'The first trip over I lost money, of course, but the next two I've actually made some money which has been kind of nice.' His best result so far was reaching the final 16 at an event in Germany before losing to No. 34 Brendan (The History-Maker) Dolan. Long, who has won his first-matches about half the time, acknowledges he has been putting pressure on himself to do well. 'I just want to show I belong,' he said. Long demonstrated that at Q-School where more 870 entries competed for 29 tour cards. He became the seventh Canadian to earn one, following Campbell, Murschell, John Part, Jeff Smith, John Norman Jr., and Ken MacNeil. The tour card lasts for two years and earns him admission to 50-plus events in a year. Long said the first thing he did when he got the competition schedule was to take down his fridge calendar to start planning his itinerary. 'It's a little overwhelming to be honest,' said Long, who does his own travel arrangements. Competitors who finish in the top 64 of the PDC Order of Merit get to retain their tour card after the initial two-year period. Long is currently ranked 108th while Campbell is No. 53. Long worked for General Motors from 1990 to 2020, working on the Chevrolet Equinox. He was a team leader on the assembly line for 18 years before finishing his career there in the paint shop. He got into darts after high school. He used to play pool at a local tavern in Wardsville after work and was invited to play darts one day when they were a man short. Long has twice competed at the PDC World Darts Championship. In 2018, he upset Northern Ireland's Mickey (The Clonoe Cyclone) Mansell in the first round before falling to Dutch pro Benito van de Pas, the 30th seed. Long, listed as a 2,500/1 longshot in the 96-player field at London's Alexandra Palace, earned 25,000 pounds ($46,285) as a second-round loser, more than enough to cover his expenses. He lost to England's James (Hillbilly) Hurrell in the first round in December 2024. Wednesdays Columnist Jen Zoratti looks at what's next in arts, life and pop culture. After he competed at Alexandra Palace the first time, he got a Facebook friend request from a 12-year-old Luke Littler. Now 18, Littler is ranked second on the PFC Order of Merit and won the PDC World Championship in January. Long didn't have to wait long to face Littler, whose nickname is The Nuke. The two were paired up in the first outing of Long's first competition after winning his tour card. Long was up 3-0 and 4-2 but eventually lost 6-4 to the teenage sensation who recorded three straight 100-plus checkouts en route to the win. — This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 12, 2025.


Winnipeg Free Press
2 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Pacers aren't celebrating, Thunder aren't panicking as sides reset for Game 4 of the NBA Finals
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Toronto Sun
3 hours ago
- Toronto Sun
Montreal Grand Prix fans stuck paying turbocharged prices for accommodation
Published Jun 12, 2025 • 4 minute read Aston Martin's Canadian driver Lance Stroll, left, and Ferrari's British driver Lewis Hamilton speak with each other as they walk in the paddock during previews ahead of the 2025 Formula 1 Grand Prix du Canada at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve in Montreal, Canada, on June 12, 2025. Photo by GEOFF ROBINS / AFP via Getty Images MONTREAL — Paula Wadden has been a huge Formula One fan ever since she got hooked on the Netflix show 'Drive to Survive' a few years ago. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account But the Halifax-area health-care worker says watching the Grand Prix in Montreal this weekend comes with high-octane prices. The Montreal hotel where she's spending the first part of the week doubles in price for the weekend. Instead, she'll spend the weekend at a hotel outside the city, near the airport, for about $600 a night. 'The tickets (prices) are OK, it's the accommodation and the means that are getting expensive,' she said Tuesday in Old Montreal. 'I don't know how the average Joe can afford it.' Wadden said the trip, which she's taking with her daughter and her daughter's partner, will cost $6,000 to $7,000. And that's despite the switch in hotels and the decision to save money by driving the 12 hours from Halifax rather than flying. Plan your next getaway with Travel Time, featuring travel deals, destinations and gear. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. While looking up hotels online, she said she saw even more eye-watering hotel prices ranging between $1,200 to more than $2,000 a night, as well as $4,000-per night Airbnbs. The Grand Prix is Montreal's biggest tourist event, expected to attract some 350,000 visitors and generate $162 million for the city, according to the head of Tourisme Montreal. Yves Lalumiere estimates average hotel room prices on Grand Prix weekend at $600 to $800 per night — although some wealthy CEOs will pay $8,000 for a suite. 'This year's prices will probably stabilize quite a bit, maybe a two to three per cent increase over the previous year,' he said in an interview. 'But the last five years I've seen an increase year after year, and a substantial increase as well.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. A ticket package for the three race days starts at $360, according to the Canadian Grand Prix website — though well-off fans can pay much more. Packages with perks such as VIP concierge service, reservations at popular restaurants and parties, and access to areas such as pit lanes and paddocks can run in the tens of thousands of dollars. However, Lalumiere noted that the city also offers plenty of free entertainment, including a Grand Prix party on Crescent Street. And he said hotel room prices are still 'very competitive,' especially for those paying in U.S. dollars or euros. Crowds, meanwhile, are not only growing but also becoming more diverse, he said. 'I think F1 has done a great job in selling the sport over the media,' Lalumiere said. 'And, therefore, now you're attracting a lot more ladies, you're attracting a lot more young people as well to the race.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Black-and-white checkered banners were already fluttering on St-Paul Street in Old Montreal on Tuesday, as tourists lined up to photograph a Formula One car on display outside Max Bitton's racing-themed store, Fanabox. Bitton said he brought in the car as a gift to fans after last year's Grand Prix, which was marred by mishaps on and off the track that left a bad taste in some fans' mouths. Those issues included traffic headaches, flooding from rain, fans turned away from a practice session they were led to believe was cancelled, and restaurants ordered to suddenly close their patios on one of the busiest evenings of the year. 'I'm trying to give back because last year was so tough,' Bitton said. While Grand Prix fans are generally well-off, Bitton also worries about rising prices, especially now that the city has imposed tougher new rules on short-term rentals for primary residences. Next year, the Grand Prix will be held from May 22 to 24, which is outside the June-to-September window in which primary residence rentals are allowed. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'A lot of the fans love to flock here because of the heritage and they love this place,' Bitton said. 'They're willing to pay more but at some point it doesn't make sense.' At Bitton's store, tourists said attending the Grand Prix was costly, but worthwhile. Max Harrison, from Bournemouth in southern England, said he managed to find a spot in a hostel for about $40 a night early in the week. For race weekend, he's spending $200 a night to stay in a room in an Airbnb shared with several others. 'It's a bit much, you can tell they've spiked (the prices),' he said. He believes 'Drive to Survive' has brought new fans to the sport, which means prices will only continue to go up. But for him, it's worth it to check the Montreal Grand Prix off his bucket list. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'The championship this year is looking really close, so it's going to be a really good race,' he said. 'And Canada is a beautiful place and I've always wanted to come.' Denise Beevor and Mark Omerod, from West Sussex in England, say they're spending 'a small fortune' for a 10-day trip that includes Sunday's race as well as stops in Quebec City and Mont-Tremblant. 'I think, particularly since COVID, it's important to have things to look forward to and to take memories away with you, and you can't replace that,' Beevor said. 'Possessions come and go, memories don't.' The CEO of the greater Montreal hotels association said the occupancy this weekend is expected to be around 90 per cent, similar to last year. Dominique Villeneuve said the industry was prepared to meet the demands of Grand Prix weekend 'enthusiastically and with the same professionalism that characterizes our industry.' World World Toronto Blue Jays Toronto & GTA Celebrity