Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Signs Super Max Extension with Oklahoma City Thunder
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the star of the Oklahoma City Thunder and recent NBA MVP, has agreed to a super-maximum contract extension for four years and $285 million, which will keep him on the team until the 2030-31 season. This extension sets a new annual salary record in the history of the league.
This agreement represents the second contract extension that Gilgeous-Alexander signs with the Thunder, solidifying mutual trust and partnership since his arrival in Oklahoma City in 2019.
Gilgeous-Alexander led the league in scoring during the regular season with an average of 32.7 points per game and maintained an average of 30.3 points in the NBA Finals. His exceptional performance has placed him on a select list of players who have won the MVP and Finals MVP in the same season.
- Michael Jordan (four times)
- LeBron James (two times)
- Larry Bird (two times)
- Tim Duncan
- Shaquille O’Neal
- Hakeem Olajuwon
- Magic Johnson
- Moses Malone
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
- Willis Reed
Furthermore, Gilgeous-Alexander, at 26 years old, became the first player since Shaquille O’Neal in 2000 to win the scoring title and the NBA championship in the same season. Other players who achieved this feat are:
- Michael Jordan (six times)
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
- George Mikan (twice)
- Joe Fulks
The only players besides Gilgeous-Alexander to achieve the triple crown of being scoring champion, MVP, and NBA champion in the same season are Jordan (four times), O’Neal, and Abdul-Jabbar.
Gilgeous-Alexander was acquired after his rookie season as a centerpiece in the Paul George trade with the Los Angeles Clippers in the summer of 2019, along with a historic amount of first-round picks, one of which became Oklahoma City co-star Jalen Williams.
Gilgeous-Alexander has been the key figure for the Oklahoma City franchise, leading the team through a rebuild. His commitment and faith in the franchise never wavered while the Thunder went through seasons of 22 and 24 wins before achieving significant improvements in each of the last three years, culminating in a 68-win campaign and the championship.
The average scoring of Gilgeous-Alexander in the championship season was the highest ever recorded by a player who won the title that season, surpassing Jordan in 1992-93 by a tenth of a point. His 3,172 points, including regular season and playoffs, were also the most since Jordan’s same season.
Scored 20 or more points in 72 consecutive games this season, the fourth-longest streak within a season in NBA history, and his +918 in plus-minus was the best in an NBA season since the Warriors’ Stephen Curry in 2016-17.
