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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on the success he is having
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added another historic achievement to his resume Sunday after winning the NBA’s Most Valuable Player award for the second consecutive season, becoming just the 14th player in league history to win back-to-back MVP honors.
The Oklahoma City Thunder star earned the award after leading the defending champions to the NBA’s best regular-season record at 64-18 while averaging 31.1 points, 6.6 assists, and 4.3 rebounds per game. Gilgeous-Alexander finished ahead of Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic and San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama in the voting.
While the MVP conversation focused heavily on his scoring efficiency and Oklahoma City’s dominance, Gilgeous-Alexander made it clear after the announcement that awards and social media recognition are not what drive him.
GettyOklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
During his MVP press conference, Gilgeous-Alexander was asked what keeps him committed to improving every season despite already reaching the top of the league.
“I’m not really after the success,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “There’s so many people in my life that sacrifice for me to just play this game that I love. And I would be doing them a disservice if I didn’t give it my all.”
The Thunder guard said his focus has always been centered on maximizing his career rather than chasing accolades.
Shai:
“I’m not really after the success. There’s so many people in my life that sacrified for me just to play this game that I love and I would be doing them a disservice if I didn’t give it my all. None of the accolades and the points and all this stuff that’s cool on social
“I said this earlier, like making sure that when I’m done and I hang these shoes up, that I gave everything I have to the game,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “And whatever that looks like for me, I’ll live with.”
He also dismissed the importance of outside attention surrounding statistics and awards.
“But none of the accolades and the points and all the stuff that’s cool on social media, none of that is what I’m after,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “I’m just after making sure that while I’m doing this thing, I give it my all and I’m not wasting nobody’s time.”
Gilgeous-Alexander received 83 of 100 first-place MVP votes. Jokić received 10 first-place votes, while Wembanyama earned five. Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham and Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic rounded out the top five.
The 27-year-old also became the first guard since Stephen Curry in 2015 and 2016 to win consecutive MVP awards.
“It’s special,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “All those guys have shaped the game of basketball. All those guys have changed the game and how it’s played and how it was approached before that. To be in just that circle, to be in that conversation, it’s something that I don’t take lightly.”
GettySan Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama
The celebration for Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder will be brief as Oklahoma City opens the Western Conference Finals against Wembanyama and the Spurs on Monday night.
The Thunder enter the series undefeated in the playoffs after sweeping both the Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Lakers. San Antonio advanced after defeating the Minnesota Timberwolves in six games.
“Obviously a really good team,” Gilgeous-Alexander said about the Spurs. “They’ve been right behind us all year so we obviously don’t take them in the slightest.”
Thunder coach Mark Daigneault also praised Gilgeous-Alexander’s continued growth after another MVP season.
“Who he is has never changed,” Daigneault said. “I think he’s touched up the edges on his game and on his leadership and on his perspective.”
Gilgeous-Alexander’s impact extended beyond scoring this season. He won the NBA’s Clutch Player of the Year award after leading the league with 175 clutch points and 16 go-ahead field goals in clutch situations.
According to NBA data, Oklahoma City outscored opponents by 16.3 points per 100 possessions with Gilgeous-Alexander on the floor this season.
The Thunder star also celebrated the MVP award with teammates Sunday by gifting them Burberry coats and Audemars Piguet watches during the team gathering at the practice facility.
“Some of it is just luck,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “I’m just lucky enough to be surrounded by great human beings, from the front office, coaching staff, to the guys that I play on the court with every night.”
“It’s more than me, it’s bigger than me.”
Debayan Biswas Debayan Biswas is a sports writer at Heavy Sports covering NBA, NFL, Golf, and Soccer. His work has been syndicated on Yahoo Sports, Yardbarker, Flipboard, The Sun News, and The Olympian. Previously, he contributed to Athlon Sports, EssentiallySports, and PFSN. More about Debayan Biswas
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