Jan 14, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) shoots in front of Philadelphia 76ers forward Justin Edwards (19) during the third quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

OKC Thunder Star Joins 76ers Legend Allen Iverson in Exclusive Company

Originally posted on Philadelphia 76ers on SI
By Kevin McCormick | Last updated Jun 7, 2025 7:37 PM ET

Since joining the OKC Thunder in the Paul George trade, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has blossomed into one of the NBA biggest superstars. As he continues another dominant campaign, the star guard has joined a Philadelphia 76ers legend in exclusive company.

The Thunder have been arguably the league's most dominant force since opening night, with SGA being a driving force in their success. He led the charge for the offensive on a nightly basis, posting averages of 32.7 PPG, 5.0 RPG, and 6.4 APG in the regular season.

After coming up short to Nikola Jokic last year, Gilgeous-Alexander was crowned league MVP this season. This is one of two major accolades, as he also took home his first scoring title. SGA's brilliance has carried on through the postseason and now to the NBA Finals.

Upon reaching the game's biggest stage, the Thunder star has earned his way into some pretty notable company. He has become just the sixth player in league history to win MVP, the scoring title, and reach the finals in the same season. The others to do so include Michael Jordan, Stephen Curry, and Sixers legend Allen Iverson.

Legendary company for SGA

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the 6th player to lead the league in PPG, win #KiaMVP and make the NBA Finals in the same season, joining Steph, Iverson, Shaq, MJ and Kareem!

The #NBAFinals presented by @YouTubeTV begin Thursday, 6/5 with Game 1 at… pic.twitter.com/t8OsgFfEKc
— NBA (@NBA) June 3, 2025

Iverson of course accomplished this feat in 2001 when he took the Sixers to their last finals appearance. He put together a memorable outing in Game 1, scoring 48 points and stealing a victory from the Lakers. However, despite averaging 35.6 PPG and 3.8 APG in the series, it would be the Sixers only win the rest of the way.

Currently down 0-1 in the finals thanks to some late-game heroics from Tyrese Haliburton, SGA and the Thunder will look to bounce back in hopes of securing a championship.

This article first appeared on Philadelphia 76ers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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