Photo: Getty Images
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will reportedly be announced as the 2025 NBA MVP, sources with knowledge of the situation confirmed to ESPN's Shams Charania on Wednesday (May 21).
Gilgeous-Alexander, 26, led the NBA in scoring for the first time in his career, averaging 32.7 points per game on 51.9% shooting, while also averaging 6.4 assists, 5.0 rebounds, 1.7 steals and 1.0 blocks and leading the Thunder to a 68-14 record, the best among all NBA teams during the 2024-25 season and a 114-88 win against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals on Tuesday (May 20).
"Breaking: Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has won the NBA MVP award, sources tell ESPN," Charania wrote on his X account. "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)."
Gilgeous-Alexander is the second Canadian to win the NBA MVP award, joining Basketball Hall of Famer Steve Nash, who won back-to-back awards during the 2005 and 2006 seasons. Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokić, who won the award last season and during the 2021 and 2022 seasons, finished second in voting despite having arguably the best season of his career with 29.6 points, 12.7 rebounds, 10.2 assists and 1.8 steals per game.