Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has already secured the NBA’s most prized particular person award this season. Now, the reigning scoring champ has the Thunder on the verge of the franchise’s first championship since relocating to Oklahoma Metropolis.
After main the league in scoring (32.7 factors per sport) and pioneering the Thunder to an NBA-best and franchise-best common season file of 68-14, Gilgeous-Alexander was topped NBA MVP for the 2024–25 marketing campaign.
Profitable the coveted MVP award has not all the time resulted in crew success within the playoffs, nonetheless, as it has been a decade for the reason that MVP went on to win an NBA championship.
Solely a choose few gamers, all Corridor of Famers, have achieved the feat. Gilgeous-Alexander might quickly be a part of the unique record of all-time greats.
Gamers to win NBA Finals and be named MVP in the identical season
Fourteen gamers in NBA historical past have gained a championship and been named league MVP in the identical season.
Bob Cousy of the Boston Celtics was the primary to do it in 1956-57. Fellow Celtics legend Invoice Russell adopted go well with in 1960-61 and went on to do it a grand complete of 4 occasions. Solely Chicago Bulls icon Michael Jordan has matched Russell relating to such seasons.
Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry is the latest participant to attain the uncommon feat. In his illustrious profession, Curry has gained 4 NBA titles and two common season MVP awards, however the 2014–15 season was the one one during which he scored each trophies.
Right here’s a full breakdown of the gamers to win a championship and be named common season MVP in the identical season:
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Bob Cousy (1956-57)
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Invoice Russell (1960-61, 1961-62, 1962-63, 1964-65)
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Wilt Chamberlain (1966-67)
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Willis Reed (1969-70)
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Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1970-71, 1979-80)
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Moses Malone (1982-83)
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Larry Hen (1983-84, 1985-86)
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Magic Johnson (1986-87)
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Michael Jordan (1990-91, 1991-92, 1995-96, 1997-98)
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Hakeem Olajuwon (1993-94)
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Shaquille O’Neal (1999-00)
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Tim Duncan (2002-03)
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LeBron James (2011-12, 2012-13)
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Steph Curry (2014-15)
For Gilgeous-Alexander to hitch the elite firm of Corridor of Famers, the top-seeded Thunder might want to defeat the Indiana Pacers within the NBA Finals, which start Thursday in Oklahoma Metropolis.
It’s the primary postseason assembly between the 2 franchises. The Thunder enter searching for the franchise’s first title in its Oklahoma Metropolis period and first for the reason that former Seattle SuperSonics gained all of it again in 1979. Indiana equally heads into the Finals seeking to snap a prolonged championship drought. Indiana hasn’t raised a title banner since Bobby “Slick” Leonard led them to a few ABA championships in 4 years between 1970 and 1973, earlier than the ABA-NBA merger.
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