Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Joins Elite Company After Back-to-Back MVP Award
Oklahoma City Thunder fans rejoiced as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander capped off his 2025-26 campaign with his second-straight MVP win. It was announced by ESPN's Shams Charania on Sunday, and Gilgeous-Alexander beat finalists Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets) and Victor Wembanyama (San Antonio Spurs).
It's not the first award that SGA has won for this season. Before he was named the MVP, the Thunder star was named the Clutch Player of the Year. On top of that, he has led the team to the Western Conference finals, sweeping the Phoenix Suns in the first round and the Los Angeles Lakers in the semifinals.
This year, Gilgeous-Alexander has had an incredible run. ESPN revealed on X that the NBA standout joined an elite group following his MVP victory. He became the third player to average 30 points and win the award in consecutive seasons. The only other players who have done that are Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Michael Jordan.
Abdul-Jabbar did it from the 1970 to 1972 seasons, which were his second and third years in the league. Jordan, on the other hand, won his first two NBA titles in 1990 and 1992.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the third player in NBA history to average 30 PPG and win MVP in consecutive seasons, joining:
— ESPN Insights (@ESPNInsights) May 18, 2026
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1970-72)
Michael Jordan (1990-92) pic.twitter.com/k5XYzbB2ve
Gilgeous-Alexander appeared in 68 games for the Thunder this season, averaging 31.1 points, 4.3 rebounds and 6.6 assists to win his second MVP award.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Credited His Teammates After His 2nd MVP Win
Gilgeous-Alexander knows that his team has a lot to do with his second MVP win. The rest of the Thunder assisted the NBA great in accomplishing the accomplishment; he did not accomplish it alone. The team clinched the No. 1 spot in the Western Conference with a 64-18 record and dominated the league.
After it was announced that he won, SGA gave some of the credit to his teammates during an interview with the NBA on Prime.
"These guys go to war for me every night, but not only on the court but off the court," the four-time All-Star said. "We have so much fun together. The NBA at times can seem like a business and a job, but these guys really make it seem just fun and what it was like when I picked up basketball at a young age."
SGA and the Thunder will have enough time to celebrate the MVP win after their postseason run. OKC is preparing to face the San Antonio Spurs for the Western Conference finals. Their goal is to win another NBA championship, and they are arguably about to face their biggest challenge on Monday.
Related: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander MVP News Provides Historic Opportunity
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This story was originally published May 17, 2026 at 7:58 PM.