Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Wins 2024-25 NBA MVP Award over Nikola Jokic, Giannis
A year after finishing as the runner-up for NBA MVP, Oklahoma City Thunder star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has officially reached the pinnacle.
Gilgeous-Alexander was voted as the 2024-25 NBA MVP over fellow finalists Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokić and Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo.
ESPN's Shams Charania was first to relay the news.
Gilgeous-Alexander received 71 first-place votes and 29 second-place votes. Jokić, who finished second in the voting, received 29 first-place votes and 71 second-place votes.
Antetokounmpo, meanwhile, did not receive any first or second-place votes.
The MVP race was an exciting battle throughout the year after Gilgeous-Alexander and Jokić established themselves as the early favorites. Jokić was looking to become just the sixth player in NBA history to win the coveted award four times, but the Thunder star did enough to get the nod this year.
Gilgeous-Alexander led Oklahoma City to a first-place finish in the Western Conference for the second straight year and the best record in the league at 68-14. He won the NBA scoring title with 32.7 points per game while also adding 5.0 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.0 blocks. He shot 51.9 percent from the field and 37.5 percent from three-point range, the fourth time in his young career that he's shot over 50 percent for a full season.
The 2024-25 campaign was full of memorable moments, and Gilgeous-Alexander was responsible for his fair share of them. The 26-year-old topped the 50-point mark four times, including a career-high 54 points in a win over the Utah Jazz in January.
Despite Gilgeous-Alexander's dominance, he faced tough competition from Jokić, who declared in March that he was "playing the best basketball of my life." The star big man averaged 29.6 points, 12.7 rebounds and 10.2 assists, ranking in the top three in the NBA in each category and joining Oscar Robertson and Russell Westbrook as the only players ever to average a triple-double for a full season.
Jokić also made history when he achieved the first 30-20-20 game ever in the NBA by dropping 31 points, 21 rebounds and a career-high 22 assists in an overtime win over the Phoenix Suns in March. He also had a career-high 61 points with 10 rebounds and 10 assists in a double-overtime loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on April 1, marking the third 60-point triple-double in NBA history and the most points ever scored in a triple-double.
Antetokounmpo ranked second in the NBA with 30.4 points and sixth with 11.9 rebounds while also adding 6.5 assists and 1.2 blocks. He shot 60.1 percent from the field, his second straight year shooting over 60 percent. He led the Bucks to the In-Season Tournament championship in December. He also had one of the best individual outings of the entire year when he dropped 59 points and 14 rebounds in an overtime win over the Detroit Pistons in November.
In the end, Gilgeous-Alexander put himself in elite company by earning his first career MVP award. He will surely be motivated to try to add his first NBA championship to his resume as well.
