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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Wins 2024-25 NBA MVP Over Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo

Originally posted on Athlon Sports
By Ishaan Bhattacharya | Last updated May 21, 2025 4:58 PM ET

The 2024-25 NBA MVP race was a hotly contested one. The three nominated players for the award were Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder, Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets and Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks.

While there were three finalists, the race came down to three-time and reigning MVP Jokic hunting down his fourth award while last year's runner-up Gilgeous-Alexander aimed to secure his first.

Shams Charania of ESPN has confirmed that Gilgeous-Alexander will be awarded the MVP trophy.

"Breaking: Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has won the NBA MVP award, sources tell ESPN."

"First MVP: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the No. 1-seed Thunder to a league-high 68 wins and became the second player in NBA history to average at least 30 points on 50% shooting, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 1.5 steals and 1 block per game along with Michael Jordan (1987-88, 1990-91)," Shams added.

The NBA's official announcement is expected to come at 7 p.m. ET today, but Gilgeous-Alexander's coronation as MVP was long overdue for many.

Many argued he should've won it last year, with his improved season leading OKC to the best record in the NBA swinging it in his favor ahead of Jokic, whose team finished as the No. 5 seed.

Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 32.7 points, 6.4 assists and 5.0 rebounds this season. His stats and team record blew his closest rivals out of the water, and it'll be interesting to see how the voting shakes out.

Jokic averaged 29.6 points, 12.7 rebounds and 10.2 assists for the Nuggets while Giannis averaged 30.4 points, 11.9 rebounds and 6.5 assists.

Despite their eye-catching numbers, Gilgeous-Alexander's combination of prolific production and a strong winning record paved the way for him to become the first guard since James Harden in 2018 to win MVP.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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