Shai Gilgeous-Alexander wins NBA MVP
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has claimed the NBA’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) award on Wednesday.
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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is this season’s NBA MVP
NBA officially announced the honor Wednesday night, just a fewnights after Gilgeous-Alexander’s Thunder defeated Nikola Jokic’s Denver Nuggets in Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinals.
Gilgeous-Alexander finished as the runner-up in last season’s MVP voting, in which Jokic claimed his third MVP.
The Thunder acknowledged SGA’s recognition with a news conference held at the team’s practice facility.
“I always thought that I could be a really good player because I had seen what putting your head down and working and controlling what you control can do for you,” said Gilgeous-Alexander, who became emotional while thanking his wife.
“I made tremendous strides, but I never thought this was going to happen.”
Dream realized
Gilgeous-Alexander received 71 of the 100 first-place votes, while Jokic earned the remaining 29 and finished as the runner-up.
Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo placed third, receiving 88 of the 100 possible third-place votes.
The Canadian superstar won his first scoring title and led the Thunder to a league-high 68 wins.
Gilgeous-Alexander led the league with 32.7 points per game on 51.9% shooting from the field and also averaged 6.4 assists, 5.0 rebounds, 1.7 steals and 1.0 blocks.
The only other 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 in a season is Michael Jordan, who did it in 1987-88 and 1990-91 — the seasons that he won the first two of his five MVPs.
“I dreamt about it as a kid, but as a kid, it’s a fake dream,” Gilgeous-Alexander said.
“But as the days go on and you realize that you get closer to your dream, it’s hard to not freak out. It’s hard to not be a 6-year-old kid again. And I think that’s what’s allowed me to achieve it. I tried to just not focus on it and just worry about what’s gotten to this place.”
