The NBA’s Most Valuable Player, Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, headlined the league’s All-NBA teams, which were announced Friday evening to conclude the league’s annual end-of-season award schedule.
Gilgeous-Alexander, who was awarded the league’s top individual honor Wednesday night, was joined on the All-NBA first team by the five players who finished atop the MVP balloting: Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum and Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell.
For Gilgeous-Alexander, whose Thunder are up 2-0 in the Western Conference finals over the Minnesota Timberwolves, it is the third straight first-team All-NBA selection, as well as his third one overall. Jokic, the runner-up for MVP honors after winning it three of the past four years, has now made seven All-NBA teams in his career, including five first-team selections. Antetokounmpo has made seven straight first-team appearances and has nine selections overall, while Tatum has made four straight first-team appearances and five overall.
Mitchell, on the other hand, made his first All-NBA first-team appearance and his second overall, after leading the Cavaliers to an Eastern Conference-best 64 wins.
The second team featured Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley, Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards, Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James and New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson.
It was the first All-NBA selection for Mobley, who won the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year award earlier in these playoffs, while it was the record-extending 21st election for James — six times more than Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Tim Duncan and Kobe Bryant, who are tied for second with 15.
Curry is one of 22 players with at least 11 All-NBA selections, while Edwards and Brunson have made it twice in their careers, as they try to lead their respective teams to the NBA Finals.
The third team featured Thunder guard Jalen Williams, Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham, Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns, LA Clippers guard James Harden and Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton.
It was the eighth election for Harden and his first since the 2020 season, when he was with the Houston Rockets. It was the third appearance each for Eastern Conference finals foes Haliburton and Towns, while it was the first time for Williams and Cunningham.
Cunningham making the team means he will get a five-year, $269 million contract beginning next season after signing a max extension with the Pistons last fall. That was roughly $45 million more than he would have made otherwise. Mobley also would have received that same bump if he hadn’t already qualified for it by winning the Defensive Player of the Year award.
This was the ninth and final end-of-season award voted on by the international panel of 100 voters. The others, along with the All-Defensive and All-Rookie Teams, were: Defensive Player of the Year (Mobley), Clutch Player of the Year (Brunson), Most Improved Player (Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels), Sixth Man of the Year (Celtics guard Payton Pritchard), Coach of the Year (Cavaliers’ Kenny Atkinson) and Rookie of the Year (San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle).