Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will take NBA championship over MVP any day

Oklahoma City Thunder All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has earned every accolade that NBA players dream of, from the MVP award to a championship. The Thunder had the fifth-most wins in a year by any team in league history in 2025. Sports Illustrated named Gilgeous-Alexander Sportsman of the Year.

When a reporter asked Gilgeous-Alexander to rank his best moments of 2025, he ranked winning his first title ahead of his MVP award, per Sports Illustrated.

.@shaiglalex blind ranks some career moments pic.twitter.com/MCNHfOIP7w

— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) January 2, 2026

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is having another MVP-caliber season — his third consecutive run after finishing as runner-up to Denver Nuggets All-Star Nikola Jokic in 2023-24. Averaging 31.4 points on 59.4% shooting and 6.1 assists, SGA was named Western Conference Player of the Month for December.

Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder enter 2026 with a league-leading 29-5 record, and on a three-game winning streak.

Mark Daigneault’s ‘strengthen’ take on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault elaborated on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s growth as an elite NBA scorer. Daigneault discussed Gilgeous-Alexander’s evolution over the years.

“He’s strengthened his foundation as a player. The best guys that can score night after night after night, there’s like a fixed income that they’re getting every single night that’s easy, that’s reliable, and is always there,” Daigneault said. “I think his commitment to that — his strength — has helped with that, with some of the rebounds, and some of the stuff around the basket. Then, I think he just keeps getting better with his skills and [evolving] his game.

“The best offensive guys have a certain base, and then they’ve got the stuff on top of that, and I think he’s starting to form into that. I think we’re starting to see that with him,” Daigneault concluded.

Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 32.1 points on a career-best 56.3% shooting, including 42% from three, 6.4 assists, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.6 steals per game this season.

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