Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Named NBA Most Valuable Player
NEW YORK – There’s no better player in the world. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander became the first Kentucky men’s basketball product to earn NBA Most Valuable Player accolades when he captured the league’s highest honor on Wednesday.
Gilgeous-Alexander led the league in scoring at 32.7 points per game during the regular season. He is the first UK player to pace the league in scoring in program history. The Hamilton, Ontario, native’s 32.7 points per game was also the most ever in Oklahoma City Thunder history. He poured in 20 or more points in 72-consecutive games and owned the most 20, 30, 40 and 50-point performances this season.
The 6-foot-6 guard’s 72-game streak of 20 or more points was the fourth-longest such streak in NBA history and the longest since Oscar Robertson had a stretch of 76 games in 1963-64. Wilt Chamberlain had two such streaks of 80 games with 20 or more points in 1961-62 and 1963-64.
Gilgeous-Alexander’s streak began with a 30-point performance against the Trail Blazers on Nov. 1. In the game prior he tallied 18 points vs. the Spurs. It was the only game during the 2024-25 regular season he did not reach the 20-point plateau.
He earned 913 total votes, including a commanding 71 first-place votes. Nikola Jokic of Denver Nuggets finished second in the voting with 787 total votes and 29 first-place tallies.
Gilgeous-Alexander’s historic season was not only marked by being the league’s top scorer, but he also guided the Thunder to the best overall record (68-14) and earned the No. 1 overall seed in the Western Conference for the second consecutive season. He added 6.4 assists, 5.0 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game, while shooting nearly 52% from the field. He finished the season ranking fourth in steals per game among players to play in at least 70 percent of their team’s games which helped the Thunder rank as the best defensive unit in the league. Gilgeous-Alexander was also 14th in assists per game.
He has the Thunder in the Western Conference finals for the first time since 2016. Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 29.2 points, 6.6 assists and 5.8 rebounds per game thus far in the playoffs. He has scored in double figures in all 12 games and topped the 30-point plateau in eight outings thus far, including a 31-point performance against Minnesota last night in the first game of the Western Conference finals.
Gilgeous-Alexander is seeking to become the first player since Stephen Curry in 2014-15 to win the league’s scoring title, earn MVP honors and capture a championship in the same season. Other players to achieve the feat include Bob Cousy, Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Willis Reed, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Moses Malone, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon, Shaquille O’Neal, Tim Duncan and Lebron James.
He has averaged 30.0 points per game or better in each of the last three seasons, but the 2024-25 campaign was a banner year. Gilgeous-Alexander charted career highs in points per game, assists per game and made 3s per game while playing 34.2 minutes a night.
Gilgeous-Alexander is a three-time NBA All-Star and twice has been named All-NBA. He was also a member of the NBA Rookie Team in 2019.
In Lexington for the 2017-18 season, Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 14.4 points and 5.1 assists. He was named the MVP of the Southeastern Conference Tournament, helping the Wildcats to the title with a win over Tennessee in the championship game. That year, Gilgeous-Alexander was an All-SEC Second Team selection and an All-SEC Freshman Team honoree.
Kentucky men’s basketball alumni continue to make a major impact on the NBA scene. UK led the country for the 13th straight season with 29 former student-athletes on NBA opening day rosters in 2024-25, while also pacing the nation with 18 representatives in the NBA Playoffs. With at least one player on each of the remaining four finalists, UK is ensured to have a player win an NBA Championship in 2025.
For the latest on the Kentucky men’s basketball team, follow @KentuckyMBB on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, and on the web at UKathletics.com.
