May 17, 2026 3 min read News

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the 2025-26 Most Valuable Player

#2 for #2

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was voted the NBA's Most Valuable Player for the 2025-26 season, winning his second consecutive MVP per ESPN.

While there's been plenty of campaigning from fans, media, and even players themselves to unseat Shai for the recognition, he hasn't relinquished pole position since winning his first Michael Jordan Trophy last spring. Since then, he's led the Thunder to their first ever title (nabbing MVP trophies for the Western Conference Finals and Finals in the process) and a wire-to-wire repeat as the #1 seed this regular season.

"You can spare me the appeals to Jokic’s legendary shooting season moving the MVP needle in his direction. Shai’s season is shaping up to be just as legendary."

- Daily Thunder, 12/17/2025

This was Shai's best season ever. SGA maintained his dominance despite his Oklahoma City teammates missing hundreds of games to injury, dozens of which were incurred by co-stars Jalen Williams and Isaiah Hartenstein. He played the most minutes for one of the best defenses of all time, contributing as a plus team defender and playmaker. On offense, Gilgeous-Alexander joined Jordan and a handful of legends who have racked 4-straight seasons averaging over 30 points per game, and elevated his standing as the league's best volume scorer. Only Steph Curry has such a season with better efficiency (30.1 PPG, 66.9% TS) than SGA's 2025-26 numbers (31.1 ppg, 66.5% TS).

SGA was already announced as the NBA's Clutch Player of the Year, and will have more awards in tow by this summer. Hopefully, #2's accolades will complement OKC's #2 Larry O'Brien.

Read more on Shai's ascension: