"This is just as much my MVP as it is his" - Shai Gilgeous-Alexander praises Jalen Williams during his 2025 Finals MVP speech
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander completed one of the greatest individual seasons in NBA history by winning the championship and Finals MVP award after leading the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 103-91 victory against the Indiana Pacers in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals.
Still, he did not forget to give flowers to his teammate and fellow All-Star Jalen Williams.
"Jalen Williams is a once-in-a-lifetime player," said Gilgeous-Alexander during his Finals MVP speech. "Without him, without his performances, without his big-time moments, big-time shot-making, big-time defending, everything he brings to this team, we don't win this championship. This is just my MVP as it is his. We'll share this one for a very long time. Like you said, we're etching the book forever. And Dub's a winner, for sure."
A disastrous Game 6 performance
Williams is the Thunder's second-best player. He is to Gilgeous-Alexander what Scottie Pippen was to Michael Jordan.
Before Game 6, Williams had increased his points output in every game of the 2025 NBA Finals, including a career-high 40 in Game 5, which many saw as his coming-out party.
But all the hype and praise disappeared after the Thunder guard had a terrible Game 6 — he scored 16 points and was a -40 in a losing effort. At that point, the confidence he worked so hard to build turned into doubt.
"The hardest thing to do is when you're not playing well or you're down about your game, is to still have confidence that you're an elite player. Everybody goes through moments, especially at this stage, you always are questioning if you are good enough. And I think I've gotten to a point where I kind of lean into it a little more and challenge myself," he said after Game 7.Shai wanted J-Dub to know he appreciated him
Williams didn't have his best shooting night in Game 7 — he shot just 7-for-20 from the field, including 2-for-7 from 3-point distance. But the Thunder as a team shot just 40.2 percent from the field on Sunday night, with Gilgeous-Alexander going 8-for-27, including 2-for-12 from a 3-point distance. Still, they stuck together as a group and gutted out the victory.
Williams finished the game with 20 points, four rebounds and four assists in 38 minutes of action.
Williams finished his first Finals series with averages of 23.6 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game. He also became only the sixth player younger than 25 to make an All-NBA team and win the NBA title in the same season.
Gilgeous-Alexander and Williams finished the Finals with 377 total points, the second-most in Finals history by a duo. And while most of the spotlight was on the former, he made sure not only to praise his teammate but also to let him hold and celebrate with the Finals MVP trophy. That makes Shai a real MVP.This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jun 23, 2025, where it first appeared.
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