Shai Gilgeous-Alexander cemented his name in NBA history on Sunday night, delivering a Finals performance for the ages and walking off the court as a champion.
The Oklahoma City Thunder star capped off a remarkable season with a 103-91 Game 7 victory over the Indiana Pacers, earning him the Bill Russell Finals MVP trophy and a place among the game’s elite.
“It’s hard to believe that I’m part of that group,” Gilgeous-Alexander said postgame. “It’s hard to even fathom that I’m that type of basketball player sometimes. As a kid, you dream. Every kid dreams. But you don’t ever really know if it’s going to come true. I’m just glad and happy that my dreams have been able to come true.”
Shai became just the fourth player in NBA history to win the scoring title, regular season MVP, and NBA title all in the same season, according to ESPN, joining Michael Jordan, Shaquille O’Neal, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
He also became the first player in NBA history to win League MVP, Western Conference Finals MVP and Finals MVP, since Conference MVP was introduced in 2022.
His 32.7 points per game during the regular season was the highest ever by a player to win the championship that same year, narrowly edging Michael Jordan’s 1993 mark.
“This isn’t just a win for me,” he said. “This is a win for my family. This is a win for my friends. This is a win for everyone who was in my corner growing up. This is a win for the fans.”
Teammate Chet Holmgren didn’t hold back his admiration.
“That’s going to go down in history as one of the greatest seasons that’s ever been had by a player,” Holmgren said. “It’s amazing to be a part of that, to witness somebody going through it, succeeding in so many different ways. He really makes it a joy to be around. It’s never about him. It’s always about us. It’s always about winning. His talent shines through all of that. We saw that all year. He’s a hell of a basketball player, but he’s an even better person.”
Thunder GM Sam Presti told ESPN had much the same to say about SGA.
“The thing about Shai is he’s a secure player, and he’s a secure person,” Presti told ESPN. “Because of that, I think it allows him to see things for what they can be and not just what they are. I’m really grateful to him, not just for what he’s done for the team, but also just for the guy that he is and the person that I get to come to the building with every day.”
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