Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Cemented NBA MVP Case

Throughout the season, the Thunder were the league's best squad. Oklahoma City went wire-to-wire as the best team in the NBA claiming 64 wins on the season despite the injury struggles they dealt with all year.

While the NBA season featured plenty of ups and downs, the NBA MVP discourse was loud all throughout the 2025-26 campaign. The reigning NBA MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, was a constant in those conversations.

As the NBA media machine propped up Nikola Jokic, Victor Wembanyama, Luka Doncic, Jaylen Brown and Cade Cunningham depending on the flavor of the month, they were always judged against Gilgeous-Alexander. They all fell short in that comparison. No matter if the measurement was head-to-head, eye test, statistical or overall body of work. While the league is as talented now as it has ever been –– this scribe would argue that the association is more talent-rich now than ever before –– Gilgeous-Alexander cemented himself as the regular season NBA MVP with his 68 game campaign.

During the 2025-26 season, the Oklahoma City Thunder superstar averaged 31.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, 6.6 assists and 2.2 stocks (steals plus blocks) per game while shooting a jaw-dropping –– and historic – 55% from the floor, 38% from beyond the arc and 88% from the charity stripe.

Gilgeous-Alexander was the best clutch time player in the NBA along the way, constantly bailing Oklahoma City out in late game scenarios and propeling the Bricktown Ballers to much needed wins. This marks the third straight season that the Thunder have earned the No. 1 seed, this year the reward is higher than ever. The Thunder's path back to the Western Conference Finals is one of least resistance due to the work Gilgeous-Alexander and company put in during the 82 game season following a shortened offseason.

His improved playmaking has helped the Oklahoma City Thunder maximize their half court offense especially when his complimentary pieces knock down triples that Gilgeous-Alexander serves up on a silver platter. While the Thunder superstar is still able to score in a phone booth and knock down difficult shots, his ability to leverage the defensive attention he recieves and get the Thunder clean buckets is vastly improved from where he was even a year ago.

The story of this season can not be told without the Thunder's team success, Gilgeous-Alexander's total dominance and the fact that at every turn it was never a question that the Thunder superstar was the leader in the NBA MVP clubhouse. This should net Gilgeous-Alexander back-to-back NBA MVP honors. As the award voters slowly leak out their ballots, it certainly is trending that way.