It finally happened. After years of "he’s almost there" and "just wait until the Thunder are good," Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is officially the NBA MVP 2025.
Honestly, it wasn't even as close as the pundits predicted back in October. While everyone was busy arguing if Nikola Jokić could snag a fourth trophy or if Luka Dončić would finally have the narrative on his side, Shai just went out and dismantled the league.
He didn't just win; he dominated.
The Numbers That Made Shai Gilgeous-Alexander the NBA MVP 2025
You can’t talk about this season without looking at the scoring. SGA finished the regular season averaging a staggering 32.7 points per game. That led the entire league. But it’s the efficiency that makes your head spin—shooting 51.9% from the field as a guard is basically video game stuff.
He wasn’t just a bucket-getter, though. He averaged 6.4 assists and 5.0 rebounds while basically living at the free-throw line, where he shot nearly 90%.
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Voters love a winner. The Oklahoma City Thunder didn't just "improve"; they tore through the schedule to finish with a 68-14 record. That’s a franchise record. When you’re the best player on a team that wins 68 games and you're leading the league in scoring, the MVP trophy is pretty much yours to lose.
The Voting Breakdown: A Two-Man Race
The final tally was revealed on May 21, 2025. Shai pulled in 71 first-place votes, totaling 913 points.
Nikola Jokić was the only other player to really stand in the way. The "Joker" grabbed the remaining 29 first-place votes. He had another historic season—averaging nearly a 30-point triple-double—but the gap in team success was too wide. Denver finished with 50 wins, which is great, but 18 games behind OKC? That’s a massive gulf in the eyes of the media.
Where did everyone else land?
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (OKC): 913 points (Winner)
- Nikola Jokić (Denver): 787 points
- Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee): 470 points
- Jayson Tatum (Boston): 311 points
Giannis was incredible, but injuries in Milwaukee kind of dampened his late-season push. Tatum stayed steady, but he didn't have that "wow" statistical jump that Shai did.
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Why This MVP Matters for NBA History
This wasn't just another trophy for the shelf. Shai is only the second Canadian to ever win the award. The first? Steve Nash. It’s been a long time since a Canadian stood at the top of the mountain, and doing it in the middle of this "international era" of the NBA makes it even sweeter.
He’s also the first Kentucky Wildcat to win it. Think about all the legends that came out of Kentucky—Anthony Davis, Devin Booker, Jamal Murray—and SGA is the one who broke the seal.
The "Trifecta" Season
Wait, it gets better. Shai didn't stop at the regular season.
He went on to lead the Thunder to the 2025 NBA Championship, winning Finals MVP and the scoring title in the same year. He’s only the fourth player in history to pull off that specific trifecta. We're talking Michael Jordan levels of impact here.
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What This Means for Your NBA Bets and Fantasy Logic
If you’re looking at the 2025-26 season, the landscape has shifted. Shai is no longer the "undervalued" star. He’s the hunted.
The "65-game rule" is still the big elephant in the room. This season, stars like Victor Wembanyama and Giannis missed out on higher honors simply because they couldn't stay on the floor. If you're tracking MVP candidates for next year, availability is the first stat you check.
Next steps for basketball fans:
- Watch the Thunder’s defensive rotations: While Shai gets the MVP glory, the team’s defense (led by Chet Holmgren) is what allows him to gamble for steals.
- Track the 65-game count: Use a tracker like Basketball-Reference to see who is actually eligible as the season progresses.
- Monitor the Sophomore jump: Keep an eye on guys like Stephon Castle and Cooper Flagg, who are already shifting the betting lines for future awards.
Shai proved that "steady" beats "flashy" every time, provided your "steady" involves 30 points a night and a 68-win season.