Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: A Historic Season for Basketball History
Oklahoma City – Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder’s star player, capped off an impressive individual season by winning the coveted Bill Russell trophy, awarded to the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the Finals. This achievement comes almost six years after his arrival in Oklahoma City, marking a milestone in the team’s rebuilding. His name already resonates among the greats of basketball.Following his team’s 103-91 victory in Game 7 against the Indiana Pacers, Gilgeous-Alexander joins a select group of players who have won both the regular season MVP and the Finals MVP in the same year. This prestigious group includes legends such as Michael Jordan (four times), LeBron James (twice), Larry Bird (twice), Tim Duncan, Shaquille O’Neal, Hakeem Olajuwon, Magic Johnson, Moses Malone, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Willis Reed.
Gilgeous-Alexander, who averaged 32.7 points during the regular season and 30.3 in the Finals, also became the first player to win the scoring title and the NBA championship in the same season since O’Neal in the year 2000. Only three other players have achieved this feat: Jordan (six times), Abdul-Jabbar, and George Mikan (twice). In addition to Gilgeous-Alexander, the only players who have achieved the triple crown of scoring champion, MVP, and NBA champion in the same season are Jordan (four times), O’Neal, and Abdul-Jabbar.Gilgeous-Alexander’s scoring average in the regular season is the highest ever recorded by a player who won the title, surpassing Jordan in 1992-93 by one-tenth of a point.“It’s hard to believe I’m part of that group,” Gilgeous-Alexander said after scoring 29 points and setting a career-high 12 assists in Game 7. “Sometimes it’s hard to even imagine that I’m that kind of basketball player.”
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Gilgeous-Alexander’s 212 points in this Finals series are the most since James’ 215 in 2015. In addition, Gilgeous-Alexander had 15 performances of 30 points in the playoffs, surpassed only by Jordan and Olajuwon in a single postseason.“This is not just a victory for me,” Gilgeous-Alexander stated upon receiving the award. “It’s a victory for my family, my friends, and everyone who supported me. It’s a victory for the fans.”
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Gilgeous-Alexander’s most memorable performance in the Finals occurred during the Thunder’s Game 4 victory, where he scored 15 of his 35 points in the final five minutes, the most by any player in the final five minutes of a Finals game in at least 50 years. “Those are the minutes, those are the moments when the best players, the big stars, the superstars, the Hall of Fame players, make a name for themselves,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “I want to have that name. I want to have those titles attached to my name.” Gilgeous-Alexander was acquired after his rookie season as a key piece in the Paul George trade with the Los Angeles Clippers in the summer of 2019, along with a historic collection of first-round picks, one of which became Oklahoma City’s co-star, Jalen Williams. Gilgeous-Alexander was the steady face of the Oklahoma City franchise while the Thunder rebuilt the team around him. His commitment and faith in the franchise never wavered, despite seasons of 22 and 24 wins, before making big leaps in each of the last three years, culminating in this 68-win campaign. “The thing about Shai is that he’s a secure player, and he’s a secure person,” said Thunder general manager Sam Presti. “Because of that, I think it allows him to see things for what they can be and not just for what they are. I’m very grateful to him, not only for what he has done for the team, but also for the kind of person he is and the one I can come to the building with every day.”“That will be remembered as one of the best seasons a player has ever had,” said Chet Holmgren, Thunder forward/center, who scored 18 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 blocks in Game 7. “It’s incredible to be a part of that, to witness someone going through that, succeeding in so many different ways.”
Chet Holmgren
