Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Wins NBA MVP Award
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander won the NBA's Most Valuable Player Award it was announced on Wednesday night.
SGA becomes the third player from the Oklahoma City Thunder to win the award, joining Kevin Durant in 2014 and Russell Westbrook in 2017.
SGA received 71 of the 100 first place votes from the media panel, with the other 29 first place votes going to Nikola Jokic of Denver, who has won the MVP award three times.
"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.
"I dreamt about it as a kid, but as a kid, it's a fake dream. 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."
Gilgeous-Alexander led the league with 32.7 points per game on 51.9% shooting from the floor 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.
This was SGA's first NBA scoring title and he led the league in games scoring 20+ points, 30+ points, 40+ points and 50+ points.
It's the third straight season he's scored at least 30 points a game and shot better than 50% from the field.
The only other players to do that are Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan and Giannis Antetokounmpo, all of whom won multiple MVP honors.
This is the seventh straight season a non-American player has won the MVP honor and the 11th time in NBA history.