OKLAHOMA CITY — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander put the ending touches on one of the spectacular particular person seasons in NBA historical past by hoisting the Invoice Russell Trophy awarded to the Finals MVP.
“This is not only a win for me,” Gilgeous-Alexander mentioned after accepting the award. “This can be a win for my household. This can be a win for my buddies. This can be a win for everybody who was in my nook rising up. This can be a win for the followers.”
Gilgeous-Alexander joined an unique record of gamers to win the MVP and Finals MVP in the identical season. The one different gamers to perform that twin feat are Michael Jordan (4 instances), LeBron James (twice), Larry Chook (twice), Tim Duncan, Shaquille O’Neal, Hakeem Olajuwon, Magic Johnson, Moses Malone, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Willis Reed.
Essentially the most memorable Finals efficiency by Gilgeous-Alexander occurred in the course of the Thunder’s series-tying highway comeback win in Sport 4. He scored 15 of his 35 factors within the ultimate 5 minutes, essentially the most by any participant within the 5 minutes of a Finals sport in a minimum of 50 years.
Gilgeous-Alexander capped the collection with 29 factors and 12 assists in Oklahoma Metropolis’s 103-91 Sport 7 win.
Gilgeous-Alexander, who averaged 32.7 factors per sport in the course of the common season and 30.3 within the Finals, additionally turned the primary participant to win a scoring title and NBA championship in the identical season since O’Neal in 2000. The one different gamers to have accomplished which can be Jordan (six instances), Abdul-Jabbar, George Mikan (twice) and Joe Fulks.
Gilgeous-Alexander’s regular-season scoring common is the very best ever by a participant who gained the title that marketing campaign, topping Jordan in 1992-93 by one-tenth of a degree, in response to ESPN Analysis.