Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has reportedly been awarded his second consecutive NBA Most Valuable Player honor, according to reporting by ESPN’s Shams Charania. The announcement is set to be made publicly before Sunday’s Game 7 between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Detroit Pistons on Amazon Prime Video at 7:30 p.m. ET, and comes one day before the Thunder open the Western Conference finals against the San Antonio Spurs. Gilgeous-Alexander, 27, led Oklahoma City to a 64-18 record, the league’s best mark for a second straight season, and posted 31.1 points per game during the regular season while also contributing across other categories. The recognition reinforces his standing among the NBA’s top individual performers and arrives as the Thunder remain unbeaten in the 2025-26 playoffs.
Key takeaways
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander reportedly won the 2025-26 NBA MVP, his second straight award, per ESPN reporting.
- The MVP announcement will be made before Game 7 between Cleveland and Detroit on Amazon Prime Video at 7:30 p.m. ET.
- Oklahoma City finished 64-18, the NBA’s best record for the second consecutive season.
- Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 31.1 points, 6.6 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.4 steals while shooting 39% from three.
- He set an NBA record with 127 consecutive games scoring 20+ points, surpassing a mark set by Wilt Chamberlain.
- SGA scored 175 clutch points this season and won the NBA’s Clutch Player of the Year earlier in the postseason.
- This makes Gilgeous-Alexander the 14th player in league history to win back-to-back MVP honors.
- Primary finalists this season included Nikola Jokić and Victor Wembanyama, each with standout all-around numbers.
Background
The MVP honor recognizes regular-season performance; Gilgeous-Alexander’s repeat comes after a dominant 2025-26 campaign in which he led the Thunder to an NBA-best 64-18 record. His path to superstardom traces to the 2018 draft, when he was selected No. 11 overall by the Charlotte Hornets and immediately traded to the Los Angeles Clippers, and then moved to Oklahoma City in a 2019 package centered on Paul George. Since then the Thunder rebuilt around SGA, adding draft capital and complementary pieces to pair with his escalating production.
Across the modern era, back-to-back MVP winners are rare: Tim Duncan, Steve Nash, LeBron James (twice), Stephen Curry, Nikola Jokić and Giannis Antetokounmpo are among those who achieved the feat. Gilgeous-Alexander joining that list at age 27 accelerates conversations about his long-term place in league history and the Thunder’s ceiling as a title contender. The award is weighted to regular-season accomplishment, but voters often consider team success and the player’s role in sustaining that success.
Main event
According to ESPN reporting, the league will present the 2025-26 MVP before Sunday’s Game 7 between the Cavaliers and Pistons, with the announcement streaming on Amazon Prime Video at 7:30 p.m. ET. The timing places the reveal one day before Oklahoma City begins its Western Conference finals matchup with San Antonio, allowing the Thunder to enter the series with the news in hand. The report attributes the outcome to the voting results compiled by the league’s MVP panel and media voters.
On the court, Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 31.1 points per game in the regular season, ranking second only to Luka Dončić’s 33.5, while adding 6.6 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.4 steals and converting 39% from three. He produced a season-high 55 points in a 141-135 double-overtime home win over the Indiana Pacers, and he posted seven 40-point games overall. Those high-output performances, coupled with consistent efficiency and playmaking, helped him secure votes despite the presence of other elite candidates.
SGA’s scoring consistency was historic: he extended a streak to 127 consecutive games with 20 or more points, breaking a record that stood since Wilt Chamberlain’s era of 1961–63. The Thunder also navigated key injuries—Jalen Williams appeared in only 33 games, while Ajay Mitchell, Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein each missed significant stretches—placing more offensive responsibility on Gilgeous-Alexander.
In addition to the MVP, Gilgeous-Alexander took home the Clutch Player of the Year earlier in the postseason on the strength of 175 points scored in designated clutch moments. Over eight NBA seasons he has now earned multiple major honors, including last season’s NBA Finals MVP, league scoring leadership in 2024–25 (32.7 ppg), four All-Star selections and three All-NBA first-team nods.
Analysis & implications
Gilgeous-Alexander’s repeat MVP both cements his status as the NBA’s current faces-of-the-league and reshapes the competitive narrative. For Oklahoma City, retaining an MVP-caliber star enhances roster construction options: the franchise can build around him with picks, targeted veteran signings, or positional complements knowing a generational scorer and playmaker anchors the roster. That leverage could speed the Thunder’s push toward sustained title contention rather than a single deep playoff run.
For Nikola Jokić and Victor Wembanyama, who were the other primary finalists, the result tightens an elite trio of superstars shaping the next NBA decade. Jokić’s league-leading 12.9 rebounds and 10.7 assists per game underline his unique playmaking at center; Wembanyama’s two-way upside and Defensive Player of the Year campaign at age 22 mark him as a long-term rival. Voters appear to have favored the combination of team success (64 wins) and scoring dominance in choosing Gilgeous-Alexander.
Market and legacy effects follow: back-to-back MVPs typically increase a player’s commercial value and Hall of Fame trajectory, and for franchises they intensify pressure to capitalize while the player remains in peak form. For the Thunder’s front office, the award strengthens the case to make aggressive roster moves around SGA, yet also raises the stakes for immediate postseason returns; a repeat MVP without an eventual title raises questions about roster gaps.
Internationally and across the league, Gilgeous-Alexander’s repeat will also affect award narratives and positional valuation. Voters and front offices may increasingly reward high-volume, efficient wing/guard scoring plus playmaking, and teams may adjust their scouting and free-agent priorities to find similar multi-faceted two-way lead guards.
Comparison & data
| Player | PPG | RPG | APG | 3P% | Notable |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | 31.1 | 4.3 | 6.6 | 39% | 127-game 20+ scoring streak; 55-pt career high |
| Nikola Jokić | 27.7 | 12.9 | 10.7 | — | Led league in rebounds & assists |
| Victor Wembanyama | 25.0 | 11.5 | 3.1 | — | Led league with 3.1 blocks; unanimous DPOY |
The table summarizes regular-season production for the main MVP finalists. Numbers reflect league-reported season averages: scoring (points per game), rebounds, assists, and available shooting splits. Contextual notes show standout achievements that influenced voter perception, such as defensive impact for Wembanyama and Jokić’s rare rebounding–assisting leadership.
Reactions & quotes
ESPN reporting indicated the award was decided by the league’s voters and that the announcement will be timed ahead of Sunday’s Game 7.
ESPN (Shams Charania, reporting)
The Thunder organization noted the timing of the reveal aligns with the team’s Western Conference finals schedule, giving the club a moment to acknowledge the honor before the series opener.
Oklahoma City Thunder (organization statement)
Analysts framed the vote as a choice that weighed elite individual scoring and team success—64 wins and the league’s best record—against Jokić’s all-around dominance and Wembanyama’s two-way impact.
Independent basketball analysts (media)
Unconfirmed
- The precise timing and format of the league’s formal presentation and acceptance remarks remain pending until the official in-game announcement is posted by the NBA.
- Any changes to Thunder rotation or roster moves that might follow the MVP result are speculative until the franchise issues formal plans.
- Future MVP tallies (a possible third award for Gilgeous-Alexander) are forecasts and not established facts.
Bottom line
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s reported repeat as NBA MVP consolidates his place among the era’s top players and underscores the Thunder’s rapid ascent from rebuild to perennial contender. The award is rooted in a 64-18 regular-season performance and a prolific scoring run that combined volume, efficiency and consistency.
For Oklahoma City, the recognition both validates the team’s roster strategy and raises external expectations for an eventual championship. For the league, the result sharpens the rivalry among elite talents—Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokić and Victor Wembanyama—and sets the stage for consequential matchups and roster decisions in the seasons ahead.