Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been voted the NBA Most Valuable Player for the second consecutive season, ESPN reported Sunday morning. The official announcement of the winner is set for Sunday at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Historic Achievement
Gilgeous-Alexander will become the 14th player in league history to win back-to-back MVPs. He is the first to achieve this feat since Nikola Jokic in 2020-21 and 2021-22 and the first guard to win consecutive MVPs since Stephen Curry in 2014-15 and 2015-16.
Every retired player who won back-to-back MVPs during their playing career has been enshrined in basketball's Hall of Fame.
Dominant Season
Signed to a four-year, $273.3 million super maximum contract extension in the offseason, the Canadian averaged 31.1 points, 6.6 assists, and 4.3 rebounds in 68 regular-season games this season. The 27-year-old has averaged 25.3 points, 5.3 assists, and 4.7 rebounds in 530 career games (521 starts) with the Los Angeles Clippers (2018-19) and Thunder.
International Impact
Gilgeous-Alexander's award extends a streak of players born outside the US winning MVP. The last US-born player to win the award was James Harden in 2018.
Playoff Push
The guard led the Thunder to their first NBA championship last year. Aiming for back-to-back titles, Oklahoma City will open play in the Western Conference final on Monday against the San Antonio Spurs.
