Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the reigning NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder became the 14th ever player to win the Most Valuable Player as he picked up the award for the second consecutive year on Sunday.
The Denver Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic and the San Antonio Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama placed third, while the Canadian’s win marked the eighth consecutive time that a player born outside the USA has picked up the prestigious award.
“Basketball’s obviously a team sport,” Gilgeous-Alexander said Sunday night in a celebration at the Thunder practice facility, surrounded by teammates – all in new Burberry trenchcoats, a gift from the now two-time MVP.
“All the numbers, all the accolades, everything that I do on the court, if we won 10 games I wouldn’t be in this conversation. So, thank you guys so much. I love you guys.”
Gilgeous-Alexander got 83 of a possible 100 first-place votes. Jokic received 10 and Wembanyama got five. Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers was fourth in the voting and Cade Cunningham of the Detroit Pistons was fifth.
Cunningham got two first-place votes – the first by a U.S.-born player since 2021.
Jaylen Brown of the Boston Celtics was sixth, and Kawhi Leonard of the Los Angeles Clippers and Donovan Mitchell of the Cleveland Cavaliers tied for seventh with one fifth-place vote apiece.
“Who he is has never changed,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. “I think he’s touched up the edges on his game and on his leadership and on his perspective, just like anybody else that’s coming of age.”
