OKLAHOMA CITY — After successful his first scoring title and main the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder to a league-high 68 wins, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has earned his first NBA MVP award, sources advised ESPN’s Shams Charania on Wednesday.
The league will formally announce the honour Wednesday night time, a number of nights after Gilgeous-Alexander’s Thunder defeated Nikola Jokic’s Denver Nuggets in Recreation 7 of the Western Convention semifinals.
Gilgeous-Alexander completed because the runner-up in final yr’s MVP voting, when Jokic gained his third MVP in 4 seasons.
Jokic had arguably the most effective season of his profession, averaging 29.6 factors, 12.7 rebounds, 10.2 assists and 1.8 steals per sport, however Gilgeous-Alexander additionally had a historic marketing campaign for an Oklahoma Metropolis crew that broke the NBA report for level differential (plus-12.9 per sport) and completed with 18 extra victories than the Nuggets.
Gilgeous-Alexander led the league with 32.7 factors per sport on 51.9% capturing from the ground and likewise averaged 6.4 assists, 5.0 rebounds, 1.7 steals and 1.0 blocks. The one different participant in NBA historical past to common a minimum of 30 factors on 50% capturing, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 1.5 steals and 1 block per sport in a season is Michael Jordan, who did it in 1987-88 and 1990-91 — the seasons that he gained the primary two of his 5 MVPs.
Gilgeous-Alexander, 26, joined an unique membership by main the league in scoring for a crew that gained 60 or extra video games. That is the tenth occasion that has been achieved in NBA historical past. The one time that participant didn’t win the MVP was in 1996-97, when Utah’s Karl Malone gained the honour over Jordan.
This was the third straight season that Gilgeous-Alexander has averaged a minimum of 30 factors whereas capturing higher than 50% from the ground. The one different gamers who’ve achieved that three straight seasons — Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Wilt Chamberlain and Jordan — all gained a number of MVPs.
Gilgeous-Alexander was additionally a serious contributor to Oklahoma Metropolis’s top-ranked protection. He had 208 “shares” (steals and blocks) this season, rating third behind San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama and Atlanta’s Dyson Daniels.
Gilgeous-Alexander is the third participant in franchise historical past to win an MVP, becoming a member of Kevin Durant (2014) and Russell Westbrook (2017).
After being named a first-team All-NBA choice the final two seasons, Gilgeous-Alexander had already certified to be eligible to signal an unprecedented, four-year, $294 million supermax extension this summer season. It will be the take care of the best annual worth ($73.3 million) in league historical past.
ESPN’s Bobby Marks contributed to this report.
