OKLAHOMA CITY—Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been named the 2024–25 NBA Most Valuable Player, earning the league’s highest individual honor after a season of consistent dominance, elite efficiency, and unshakable leadership.
At just 26 years old, Gilgeous-Alexander becomes the third MVP in Oklahoma City Thunder history, joining Kevin Durant (2014) and Russell Westbrook (2017) in a rarefied lineage of franchise icons. His win solidifies both his rise to superstardom and Oklahoma City’s identity as a breeding ground for generational talent.
Over the course of the regular season, Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 32.7 points, 6.4 assists, and 5 rebounds per game while shooting 51.9% from the field and posting a true shooting percentage of 63.7%—one of the most efficient scoring campaigns in NBA history for a player averaging over 30 points. He consistently broke down defenses with his methodical pacing, footwork, and body control, carving out lanes and creating space in ways few players in the league can replicate. His ability to get to his spots and finish with precision made him one of the most difficult covers in basketball.
What made his MVP case truly undeniable, however, was his sustained excellence and leadership throughout the season. Gilgeous-Alexander scored at least 20 points in 60 straight games, a testament to his consistency, health, and mental toughness over an 82-game grind. Night in and night out, he was the engine that powered the Thunder’s offense and the steady presence that young teammates looked to in moments of adversity.
Under his guidance, the Thunder finished with a franchise-best 68–14 record, the top mark in the NBA. Despite fielding one of the youngest rotations in the league, Oklahoma City played with the poise, maturity, and confidence of a seasoned contender—thanks in large part to the tone set by Gilgeous-Alexander. Head coach Mark Daigneault often credited Shai’s calm demeanor and work ethic as foundational to the team’s culture, calling him “the ultimate tone-setter.”
In a league overflowing with talent and MVP-worthy candidates, what set Gilgeous-Alexander apart wasn’t just his numbers—it was his ability to elevate everyone around him. His unselfishness, focus, and humility became defining traits of a Thunder team that turned potential into results far ahead of schedule.
Winning MVP is a crowning moment, but for Gilgeous-Alexander, it feels more like a beginning. After years of gradual ascent, he now stands as one of the NBA’s premier forces, a player whose greatness is no longer emerging—it’s established. And in a city that has already seen two of its own reach the league’s pinnacle, Shai’s name now joins theirs, not as a shadow of the past, but as the face of a new era in Oklahoma City.
