OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) 鈥� He's the most valuable player. The scoring champion. And now, an NBA champion along with NBA Finals MVP.
All in one season.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of Hamilton, Ont., has entered one of the game鈥檚 most elite clubs.
The 26-year-old Canadian is atop the basketball world now in almost every way imaginable. Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder captured the NBA title on Sunday night, to win the finals in a seven-game thriller.
He becomes the fourth player in NBA history to win MVP, Finals MVP, a scoring title and play for a champion in the same season. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar did it once, Michael Jordan then did it four times, and Shaquille O鈥橬eal was the last entrant into that fraternity 鈥� until now.
鈥淎 lot of hard work, a lot of hours in the gym,鈥� Gilgeous-Alexander said. 鈥淭his isn't just a win for me. This is a win for my family. This is a win for my friends. This is a win for everybody that was in my corner growing up. This is a win for the fans, the best fans in the world.鈥�
The title caps a season where the Thunder won 84 games, tied for the third most by any team in any season in NBA history. Gilgeous-Alexander finished the season with 64 games of at least 30 points. The only other players to score 30 points that many times in a season: Wilt Chamberlain, Rick Barry, Elgin Baylor, Bob McAdoo, James Harden, Jordan and Abdul-Jabbar.
It is amazing company. With due respect to those legends, Gilgeous-Alexander doesn't care. The Thunder are NBA champions. That鈥檚 more than enough for him.
鈥淔ocusing on just being the best version of myself for this basketball team, for whatever it takes, for however many games it is, however many possessions is needed, however many moments,鈥� Gilgeous-Alexander said.
"Ultimately, I鈥檓 just trying to stay in the moment. I think that鈥檚 what鈥檚 gotten me here. That鈥檚 what has helped me achieve the MVP award, achieve all the things I鈥檝e achieved. It鈥檚 helped this team win basketball games.鈥�
This was not a sneak attack up the ladder of superstardom. Gilgeous-Alexander has been climbing those rungs for years.
He鈥檚 one of only two players 鈥� Giannis Antetokounmpo is the other 鈥� to average at least 30 points per game in each of the last three seasons. He led Canada to a bronze medal (over the United States, no less) at the World Cup in 2023, been an All-Star and first-team All-NBA pick for three years running, played in his first Olympics last year, and just finished a season where he posted career bests in points and assists per game.
He scored 3,172 points this season, including playoffs, the ninth-most by any player in NBA history.
Oh, and he鈥檚 a champion now.
鈥淗e鈥檚 getting better every year in just about everything,鈥� Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. 鈥淚 think he鈥檚 really improved as a playmaker. 鈥� And then he鈥檚 an unbelievable scorer, and incredibly efficient. We lean into that. He leans into that.
"He鈥檚 learned when teams load up on him and they overcommit, to get off it early, and I think that鈥檚 reflected in the way we鈥檝e played offence throughout the course of the season.鈥�
Opponents have no choice but to marvel at how Gilgeous-Alexander does what he does. He鈥檚 not a high-flying artist like Jordan, not an unstoppable force of power like LeBron James, not a 3-point dazzler like Stephen Curry. He looks like he鈥檚 playing at his own pace much of time, largely because defences have few ways to slow him down or speed him up.
鈥淪hai, he鈥檚 so good,鈥� Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton 鈥� who that knocked him out of Game 7 in the first quarter 鈥� said during the series. 鈥淗e鈥檚 so slippery in between those gaps. He splits screens, like, I don鈥檛 know how he鈥檚 doing that. 鈥� He鈥檚 a really tough cover.鈥�
Gilgeous-Alexander is the face of basketball in Oklahoma City, is rapidly becoming one of the faces of the NBA 鈥� his jersey is now one of the highest-selling 鈥� and it鈥檚 no secret that he is the icon for fans in Canada now. It used to be Steve Nash, the first Canadian to win NBA MVP.
Now, Nash has help.
鈥淵ou can only imagine and get excited about all the kids around the world, but in particular Canadians that will be affected so positively, whether they鈥檙e basketball players or not, by the way he carries himself, by the way he executes and commits to his profession,鈥� Nash said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 remarkable and he鈥檚 an amazing example for everybody out there, not just kids."
There鈥檚 no question Nash had some impact on Gilgeous-Alexander鈥檚 rise in the game. Another great who did: Kobe Bryant.
There are parallels: similar body types, even similar ways they answer questions. Bryant famously said 鈥渏ob鈥檚 not finished鈥� when asked about his Lakers getting within two wins of a title one year; Gilgeous-Alexander had a similar moment after the Thunder got to three wins in this series, saying 鈥渨e haven鈥檛 done anything.鈥�
They have now.
鈥淗e is probably my favourite player of all time,鈥� Gilgeous-Alexander said of Bryant. 鈥淣ever got the chance to meet him. With me, with kids all across the world, his influence has gone through the roof. He鈥檒l be remembered forever because of the competitor and the basketball player he was. Yeah, I鈥檓 hopefully somewhere close to that as a basketball player one day.鈥�
He鈥檚 not there yet.
But Gilgeous-Alexander got one day closer Sunday, when he reached basketball鈥檚 mountaintop for the first time.
鈥淚t means everything,鈥� Gilgeous-Alexander said. 鈥淲e rose to the moment. And here we are.鈥�
___
AP NBA:
Tim Reynolds, The Associated Press
