In a season that will surely be remembered, Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been crowned the recipient of the Michael Jordan Trophy as the 2024-25 Kia NBA Most Valuable Player. This marks a significant milestone for Gilgeous-Alexander, who finished as the runner-up in MVP voting last season and came in fifth the year before. He’s now the second Canadian, joining the ranks of two-time winner Steve Nash, to earn this prestigious honor.
Gilgeous-Alexander is already making waves in Thunder history, becoming the third player to win the MVP award for the franchise, following the footsteps of superstars Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. Over the course of the regular season, he showcased an astonishing level of performance, averaging 32.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 1.72 steals, and 1.01 blocks while logging 34.2 minutes in 76 games. These numbers not only reflect his individual prowess but also his ability to elevate his game when it counted the most, setting career highs in points, assists, and blocks per game.
This season has been a historical one for Gilgeous-Alexander as he led the league by a significant margin in scoring, taking home the NBA scoring title for the first time. He displayed remarkable consistency, notably becoming the first player since James Harden in 2018-19 to achieve the pinnacle of scoring success: leading the league in games with at least 20 points (75), 30 points (49), 40 points (13), and 50 points (four) in a single season.
His scoring streak was impressive, with his only dipping below 20 points in a game being an 18-point outing against the San Antonio Spurs back on October 30, 2024. From then on, he scored at least 20 points in each of his final 72 games, a remarkable feat that hadn’t been seen since the legendary Wilt Chamberlain and Oscar Robertson in the mid-60s.
On the shooting front, the 6-foot-6 guard hit 51.9% from the field, marking a career high, while his three-point shooting percentage also rose to a robust 37.5%. Impressively, Gilgeous-Alexander knocked down 601 free throws—leading the NBA—and maintained a stellar 89.8% free-throw shooting mark, ranking sixth in the league. His three-point game also saw significant growth, as he made a personal best of 163 shots from beyond the arc this season, a staggering jump from his previous high of 95.
Notably, Gilgeous-Alexander joined an elite club, as he became just the second player in NBA history, alongside Michael Jordan, to average at least 32.0 points and 6.0 assists per game while maintaining a shooting percentage of 50.0% or better from the field in a single season.
Defensively, he didn’t shy away from the spotlight either. He was the only player in the league to average at least 1.5 steals and 1.0 blocks per game, showcasing his well-rounded game and helping his Thunder team, which led the NBA with a defensive rating of 106.6.
Gilgeous-Alexander’s accolades didn’t end with the MVP award—he also secured his third consecutive NBA All-Star selection and earned recognition as the Kia NBA Western Conference Player of the Month on three occasions. His contributions helped lead the Thunder to a league-best record of 68-14, which tied for the sixth-best single-season record in NBA history.
All of this achievement was recognized by a global media panel of 100 voters when they selected Gilgeous-Alexander for the MVP award, with the balloting conducted by the independent accounting firm Ernst & Young LLP. The future looks bright for the Thunder and their star guard, as they continue to threaten the league with their explosive talent and teamwork.
