He did it.
After years of "almost" and "next up," Shai Gilgeous-Alexander officially took home the 2025 NBA MVP award. Honestly, it felt inevitable by mid-March. If you watched the Oklahoma City Thunder last season, you saw a guy playing a different sport than everyone else. While the rest of the league was playing checkers, SGA was out there playing high-speed chess in a pair of designer sneakers.
The voting wasn't even as close as people expected. Shai nabbed 71 out of 100 first-place votes. Nikola Jokic, the perennial mountain in everyone's way, grabbed the other 29. No one else even got a look. It was a two-horse race that ended with a Canadian guard holding the Michael Jordan Trophy.
Who Won the 2025 NBA MVP?
Let’s get the basics out of the way. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder is your 2025 NBA MVP.
He didn't just win; he dominated the narrative from opening night. Usually, these awards go to the guy with the most "vibes" or the best comeback story. Not this time. Shai won because he was statistically impossible to guard and led his team to a franchise-record 68 wins.
Think about that for a second. Sixty-eight wins.
In a Western Conference that’s basically a meat grinder every single night, the Thunder finished 68–14. You don't do that by accident. You do that when your best player averages 32.7 points per game while shooting nearly 52% from the floor as a slender guard. It’s unheard of.
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The Stats That Sealed the Deal
If you’re a box score watcher, Shai’s 2024-25 season was a fever dream.
- Points: 32.7 (1st in the NBA)
- Assists: 6.4
- Rebounds: 5.0
- Steals: 1.7
- FG%: 51.9%
He joined Steve Nash as the only Canadians to ever win the award. But Shai plays nothing like Nash. While Steve was a maestro of the pass, Shai is a maestro of the drive. He led the league in "uncomfortable buckets"—those weird, leaning, mid-range floaters that look like they shouldn't go in but always do.
Why Jokic Didn't Win Four
It’s kinda wild to think Nikola Jokic didn't win. The guy averaged a triple-double. Literally. He put up 29.6 points, 12.7 rebounds, and 10.2 assists. Most years, those are "stop the count" numbers.
So, why did the voters pivot?
Fatigue is a real thing, sure. But more importantly, the Thunder simply outclassed the Nuggets in the standings. Denver was great, but OKC was historic. There’s also the "clutch" factor. Shai was the league's most efficient scorer in the fourth quarter. When the game slowed down and the whistles got tighter, SGA just kept getting to his spots.
Voters also looked at the defensive end. While Jokic is a genius at positioning, Shai was a legitimate menace on the perimeter. He finished near the top of the league in deflections and steals. He wasn't just a "bucket getter"; he was a two-way floor general.
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The Giannis and Luka Factor
Luka Doncic and Giannis Antetokounmpo were there, hovering in the background. Luka, now in LA, put up massive numbers, but the Lakers struggled with consistency. Giannis was his usual dominant self, but the Bucks' mid-season slump basically killed his momentum.
By the time April rolled around, it was a Shai-only conversation. People stopped asking if he’d win and started asking if it would be unanimous.
The "SGA" Style: More Than Just Points
If you've never sat down and watched a full Thunder game, you’re missing out on the rhythm. Shai plays at his own pace. It’s slow, then fast, then suddenly he’s at the rim and you didn't even see him move his feet.
Mark Daigneault, the Thunder’s coach, once said Shai has a "vision for himself" that most people can't see. He was cut from his high school JV team. He wasn't a top-five pick. He was the "other guy" in the Paul George trade.
That chip on his shoulder turned into a diamond.
In the 2024-25 season, he became the first player since Michael Jordan to average over 30 points while shooting over 50% from the field and 85% from the line with less than three turnovers a game. That is peak efficiency. It's "boring" in the way that greatness is boring. You just know the ball is going through the hoop.
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The Impact on Oklahoma City
This wasn't just a win for Shai. It was a funeral for the "small market" excuse. OKC is one of the smallest markets in the league, yet they built a juggernaut. Winning the 2025 NBA MVP in a Thunder jersey puts Shai in the same breath as Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.
The city went nuclear when the news broke on May 21, 2025. One day after they blew out Minnesota in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals, the league made it official. Shai gave a speech that was surprisingly emotional, thanking his wife, Hailey, and his teammates. He basically said he was just a kid from Toronto dreaming of this.
What This Means for the Future
The 2025 season felt like a changing of the guard. LeBron, Steph, and KD are still around, but they aren't the ones carrying the trophies anymore. It’s Shai’s league now. Anthony Edwards and Victor Wembanyama are coming, but they’re still a step behind the efficiency Shai has mastered.
If you’re wondering how he follows this up, the answer is simple: he doesn't care. Shai has gone on record saying he doesn't play for awards, which is exactly the kind of thing an MVP says.
Actionable Insights for NBA Fans
If you want to understand why Shai won, don't just look at the highlights. Do these three things:
- Watch his footwork in the mid-range: He uses a "stop-start" move that freezes defenders. He doesn't need a 40-inch vertical because his timing is perfect.
- Look at the 4th quarter stats: Shai's true shooting percentage actually rose in the final five minutes of close games. That’s what separates MVPs from All-Stars.
- Track the "Stocks": (Steals + Blocks). For a guard, Shai’s ability to disrupt passing lanes is what gave him the edge over Jokic in the eyes of defensive-minded voters.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the 2025 NBA MVP because he was the most consistent, efficient, and winningest player in the world for 82 games. The era of SGA is officially here, and it doesn't look like it's ending anytime soon.