May 18, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) dribbles the ball down the court against the Denver Nuggets in the second half during game seven of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

OKC Thunder Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Named 2025 NBA MVP

Originally posted on Oklahoma City Thunder on SI
By Rylan Stiles | Last updated May 21, 2025 7:12 PM ET

The Oklahoma City Thunder have seen superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander earn the NBA's Most Valuable Player Award as it was announced by the league on Wednesday, May 21, 2025, on TNT's pregame show, Inside the NBA. This set the stage for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Indiana Pacers and the New York Knicks.

This regular-season award was awarded to the OKC Thunder star via a panel of media members who vote on every NBA honor. Gilgeous-Alexander edges out Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic and Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Gilgeous-Alexander has bagged his first NBA MVP award, the third in the Thunder's franchise history, joining Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.

It was a 2024-25 campaign that will go down as one of the best seasons a guard has ever put together. Gilgeous-Alexander led the NBA in scoring, averaging 32.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.0 blocks per game while shooting nearly 52% from the floor, 37% from beyond the arc and 89% at the free throw line.

The 26-year-old help guide Oklahoma City to a jaw-dropping 68-wins during the 2024-25 season, the best record in the NBA and one of just seven teams in the course of NBA history to hit that mark. The OKC Thunder did so while battling poor injury luck seeing the likes of Chet Holmgren, Isaiah Hartenstein and Alex Caruso miss significant time which didn't hinder the Thunder's win total in large part due to the prolific scoring and better-than-advertised defense of the team's superstar.

This honor puts the Oklahoma City Thunder star in line for a supermax contract, eligible to ink the papers in the Summer of 2026. The contract will total up to a five-year $380-million pact, the largest deal in the sport, which will be dished out by the Bricktown ballers.

After finishing fifth in MVP voting in the 2022-23 season and runner-up in the 2023-24 season, Gilgeous-Alexander wins the honor in 2024-25.

This has been a long time coming for the Thunder point guard.

This article first appeared on Oklahoma City Thunder on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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