Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is that this season’s Most Worthwhile Participant, sources inform Shams Charania of ESPN (X link).
Gilgeous-Alexander and Nuggets heart Nikola Jokic have been the front-runners for the award nearly all season, with Bucks ahead Giannis Antetokounmpo as the opposite finalist. Whereas Jokic has three MVP awards and Antetokounmpo has received twice, it is a first for SGA, who was the runner-up to Jokic final yr.
Gilgeous-Alexander led the NBA in scoring at 32.7 factors per sport as a part of an total glorious yr. In 76 contests, he additionally averaged 6.4 assists, 5.0 rebounds, 1.7 steals and 1.0 blocks whereas capturing 51.9% from the sphere. Tim MacMahon of ESPN notes that the one different participant to submit related numbers in a season was Michael Jordan, who did it whereas capturing MVP honors in 1987/88 and 1990/91.
On high of his particular person brilliance, Gilgeous-Alexander doubtless received over some voters by main Oklahoma Metropolis to the perfect file within the league at 68-14. MacMahon states that it’s the tenth time {that a} participant has led the league in scoring for a workforce with at the very least 60 wins.
Whereas the ultimate voting totals received’t be out there till the league’s formal announcement, it’s attainable that Jokic made it an in depth race. He turned in one of the crucial prolific seasons of his profession, averaging a triple-double with 29.6 factors, 12.7 rebounds and 10.2 assists in 70 video games.
Jokic helped the Nuggets safe the fourth seed within the West, however they received 18 fewer video games than the Thunder and had been eradicated by OKC in a seven-game second-round sequence.
Antetokounmpo was excellent once more for a 48-win Bucks workforce, posting 30.4 factors, 11.9 rebounds and 6.5 assists in 67 video games, however he was thought of a protracted shot to win the award.
Gilgeous-Alexander is the third participant in Thunder historical past to seize MVP honors, becoming a member of Kevin Durant in 2014 and Russell Westbrook in 2017.
As MacMahon notes, Gilgeous-Alexander has been an All-NBA choice the previous two seasons, so he already met the {qualifications} for a historic four-year, $294M extension this summer season. The $73.3M annual worth can be the biggest in NBA historical past.
The MVP award will make him eligible for a five-year, $380M extension if he waits till 2026, in accordance with Bobby Marks of ESPN (X link).
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