OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s trophy case is a little more jammed.
A day after the Oklahoma City guard was revealed as the NBA’s Most Valuable Player for the second consecutive season, he received the Michael Jordan Trophy from Commissioner Adam Silver before Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals on Monday night.
Advertisement
It was the fourth individual trophy for Gilgeous-Alexander in just under a year — and three of those were hand-delivered by Silver.
“In the 80-year history of the NBA, only a few select players have won back-to-back MVPs,” Silver said in a brief on-court ceremony. “Shai, you now join that elite group. Congratulations.”
Gilgeous-Alexander hoisted the trophy for a few seconds, before placing it back on a table at midcourt so it could be carried off — by a person wearing white gloves.
Not counting the 2025 Western Conference Finals MVP award (which didn’t come from Silver), there was last year’s MVP trophy, then the 2025 NBA Finals MVP award, and now this MVP trophy — all done at midcourt in Oklahoma City, with the roar of Thunder fans drowning out all other noises.
Advertisement
“There’s actually not a day that goes by that I’m not incredibly grateful for this team,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. “I’m not out there dribbling the ball. We have a great team. And Shai’s a huge part of that, obviously, and the thing he leads the charge with is he’s a great guy. He’s got a great makeup.”
Gilgeous-Alexander was honored with San Antonio star Victor Wembanyama standing nearby. The Thunder are facing the Spurs in the West title series; the 22-year-old Wembanyama, a first-time finalist for MVP, was third in the voting behind Gilgeous-Alexander and Denver’s Nikola Jokic.
“I think Victor being in the top three for his age is remarkable,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said. “I also think very appropriate. It is well-earned and he’s done more than enough to earn that from the voters. I think Shai has had a remarkable year, a remarkable run, which extends past just this year. And I think the voters reflected that.”
The NBA redesigned many of its trophies and awards in 2022, including the MVP trophy — which is when it was named for Jordan.
Advertisement
The trophy is filled with nods to Jordan, including its height of 23.6 inches and its weight of 23.6 pounds — tributes to his jersey number and the six NBA championships he won with the Chicago Bulls.
It has a five-sided base, for Jordan’s five MVP awards, and the base is set at a 15-degree angle — for Jordan’s 15 seasons. The crystal basketball atop the statue has 23 points, and the namesake badge is six-sided for the six championships.
Gilgeous-Alexander is seeking his second title.
“The thing I appreciate most about him is not what he’s doing — he gets the MVP for what he does — but it’s how he does it,” Daigneault said. “That, to me, is most special.”
___
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/nba