SGA is MVP: 3 big moments from Shai's speech

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been named the 2025 NBA Most Valuable Player, the league announced Tuesday.

WATCH TO HEAR HIS COMMENTS:

SGA gives emotional thanks during MVP speech

During his MVP acceptance speech, SGA thanked those who supported him on and off the court.

He began by addressing his Thunder teammates.

“I can’t say enough how much you guys mean to me, not only just as a basketball player, but as family,” he said. “We do everything together ... you guys are really like my brothers ... this award is your award too.”

He also thanked the Thunder organization from top to bottom, including Executive Chairman Clay Bennett, General Manager Sam Presti, Head Coach Mark Daigneault, the training staff and equipment team.

“You guys do an amazing job of allowing us as players to just enjoy basketball ... Everything is laid out, all we have to do is be kids and play,” he said. “That’s why we’ve been able to grow the way we have.”

He gave a special shoutout to friends from back home.

He also expressed love and appreciation for his family.

“My brother, my twin, my best friend ... thank you for everything,” he said. “My dad, for putting a ball in my hands, my mother.

Gilgeous-Alexander closed by giving an emotional thanks to his partner, Hailey Summers.

“You were the first person to show me what love really meant, what sacrifice really meant,” he said. “I wouldn’t be the man I am, the player I am, the father I am, without you."

He ended his speech simply: “Thank you, everybody.”

SGA on Joining Steve Nash as a Canadian NBA MVP: ‘It’s Special’

When asked what winning the MVP means to him as a Canadian, Gilgeous-Alexander reflected on the path paved by those before him, especially Hall of Famer Steve Nash.

“He set the foundation. He was the first Canadian basketball player I knew of,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “Without seeing guys go to the NBA from Canada, it wouldn’t have been as much of a dream for us as kids growing up. So to be in the conversation with a guy like that, and what he’s meant to not only basketball, but to the country of Canada, is special.”

Setbacks, growth, and gratitude shape the MVP moment.

When hearing the news that he is the NBA’s Most Valuable Player, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said his mind flashed back to both struggles and triumphs.

“All the moments I got cut, traded, slighted, overlooked,” he said. “But also all the joy ... all the things my family comforted me in.”

He emphasized the role his personal growth off the court played in his rise on it.

"I don't think it's enough emphasis on how much off the court influences on the court," he said. "And once I became better off the court, my career started to skyrocket, and it's no coincidence."

SGA Joins Westbrook, Durant as Thunder MVPs

Now the third Thunder player to win an NBA Most Valuable Player award, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said he’s honored to be mentioned alongside Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, even if he’s never tried to follow directly in their footsteps.

“It’s amazing,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “Any conversation with, particularly those two guys, but guys that get this award, it's hard to even wrap your head around ... to even be in the same breath, it's hard to put into words.

He said he, like them, was just a kid with a dream who worked hard and saw where it would take him.

SGA's Stats

Gilgeous-Alexander appeared in 76 games this season, all starts, and led the league with 32.7 points per game. He shot 51.9% from the field and 37.5% from 3-point range, while also averaging 6.4 assists, 5.0 rebounds, 1.72 steals (fifth in the NBA) and 1.00 block in 34.2 minutes per game.

He became just the second player in NBA history to average at least 30 points on 50% shooting along with at least 5.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.50 steals and 1.00 block. The only other player to do so is Michael Jordan, who accomplished the feat in the 1987–88 and 1990–91 seasons.

Gilgeous-Alexander helped lead the Thunder to a 68-14 record — the best in the NBA this season, the best in team history, and tied for the fifth-most wins in league history. Oklahoma City also set an NBA record with 54 double-digit victories and posted a 29-1 record against the Eastern Conference, the best interconference record in league history. The Thunder finished with a 12.9-point average margin of victory, the largest in NBA history.

Gilgeous-Alexander joins Kevin Durant (2013–14) and Russell Westbrook (2016–17) as the third Thunder player to win MVP. Oklahoma City becomes the fifth franchise in NBA history with three different MVP winners and the first to have three in a 12-year span.