Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s meteoric rise reached its peak as the Oklahoma City Thunder star was officially named the 2024–25 NBA Most Valuable Player and the recipient of the Magic Johnson Trophy, awarded to the Western Conference Finals MVP. The accolades cap off a historic season for the 25-year-old guard, who has been the driving force behind the Thunder’s first NBA Finals appearance since 2012.
Gilgeous-Alexander earned 71 of the 100 first-place MVP votes, finishing ahead of Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo in the final tally. Leading the league with 32.7 points per game (regular season) and anchoring the Thunder to a franchise-best 68–14 record, SGA’s all-around brilliance made him the clear-cut favorite.
In the Western Conference Finals against the Timberwolves, he averaged 31.4 points, 8.2 assists, and 5.2 rebounds. His Game 5 performance — 34 points, 8 assists, and 7 rebounds in a 124–94 blowout — earned him unanimous votes for the Magic Johnson Trophy.
Magic Johnson himself took to social media with a double-dose of praise: “I want to congratulate the Oklahoma City Thunder Coach Mark Daigneault as well as NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the rest of the OKC team on advancing to the NBA Finals!” In a humble turn, Magic added: “I want to apologize to the Oklahoma City Thunder for underestimating them and not thinking they were ready to compete for a Championship.”
As the Thunder prepare for the Finals with home-court advantage, Gilgeous-Alexander leads the Finals MVP betting odds. With every performance, he continues to cement his place as not just the face of the franchise but one of the defining players of a new NBA era.
(This is a building story…)
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