“I’m just sitting there watching him like, ‘Man, I remember when he was scrawny and was on his first contract in The Bubble’…. He also showed a side to him that we see every day. He let everybody in on that,” said Mark Daigneault when describing what Shai Gilgeous-Alexander winning the MVP award, and his impact on the team, means to him. The point guard has certainly come a long way from when he was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder back in July 2019. At the same time, so has the franchise. It is hard to believe that this is the team that, 3-4 years ago, had occupied the 2nd-to-last seed on the Western Conference chart. And as the team heads to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2012, even Shai could not help but reflect how far his squad had come.
The 124-94 victory against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 5 ensured that OKC now goes to the next and final stage of the 2024-25 tournament. The night was made extra special after Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was awarded the Western Conference Finals MVP trophy!
During his speech commemorating the feat, the player said, “A couple years I got here, there’s some really dark times in this arena. Not fun times, and these stands, fans have been by our side through thick and thin. So, we appreciate them, first and foremost,” said Shai. “And then, of course, I want to thank my teammates. Without them, I have nothing. Clear as day. I don’t have 124 points by myself”.
“I don’t have 124 points by myself. I love these guys to death.”
SGA after winning WCF MVP pic.twitter.com/IzCfmX5snG
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) May 29, 2025
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The post Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Opens Up on OKC’s “Dark Times” in Emotional Confession After WCF MVP Win appeared first on EssentiallySports.
