Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been named NBA MVP for the second consecutive season, the league announced Sunday night.
Gilgeous-Alexander is the 14th player in league history to win consecutive MVPs. He is the first player to win back-to-back MVP awards since Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic in 2020-21 and 2021-22 and the first guard to win back-to-back MVP awards since Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry in 2014-15 and 2015-16.
Gilgeous-Alexander received 83 first-place votes and easily won with 939 points in the polls by a panel of 100 voters who participate in the NBA.
Jokic received 10 first-place votes and finished second with 634 points. Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs was third with 589 points and five first-place votes.
“Basketball is definitely a team sport,” Gilgeous-Alexander said Sunday night in a ceremony at the Thunder’s practice facility. “All the numbers, all the accolades, everything I do on the court, if we’d won 10 games I wouldn’t be in this conversation. So, thank you very much. I love you guys.”
Signed to a four-year, $273.3 million max contract extension this offseason, Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 31.1 points, 6.6 assists and 4.3 rebounds in 68 games this season as Oklahoma City went 64-18 and compiled the best record in the NBA.
