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Professional basketball

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Becomes Second Canadian to Win NBA MVP Award

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

In a historic regular season, Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was named the NBA MVP on Wednesday, unseating Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic and becoming just the second Canadian to win the award. Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder to a franchise-best 68 wins and a plus-12.9 point differential, the highest mark in league history, while averaging 32.7 points per game.

Key Takeaways:

  • Gilgeous-Alexander joins Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan (1995-96) and Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (2015-16) as the only players to average at least 30 points for a team that won 68 or more games.
  • Gilgeous-Alexander received 71 first-place votes to Jokic's 29, with Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum, and Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell rounding out the top five.
  • The 30-year-old Jokic finished second after averaging a triple-double -- 29.6 points, 12.7 rebounds, and 10.2 assists -- for the 50-win Nuggets.
  • Gilgeous-Alexander's MVP path took many twists and turns, including being raised in Ontario and transferring to a Tennessee high school in 2015 before spending one season at the University of Kentucky.
  • During Gilgeous-Alexander's six-year tenure in Oklahoma City, the Thunder has rebuilt from a 22-50 season in 2020-21 to a juggernaut that finished 16 games ahead of the second-place Houston Rockets in this year's Western Conference standings.
  • Gilgeous-Alexander joins Steve Nash (2004-05 and 2005-06) as the only Canadians to win MVP honors, and is also the third Thunder player to win the award, following Kevin Durant (2013-14) and Russell Westbrook (2016-17).

Statistics:

  • Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 32.7 points per game, guiding the league's fourth-best offense while contributing to the NBA's top defense.
  • The Thunder finished with a plus-12.9 point differential, the highest mark in league history.
  • Jokic averaged a triple-double -- 29.6 points, 12.7 rebounds, and 10.2 assists -- for the 50-win Nuggets.
  • Antetokounmpo averaged 30.4 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 6.5 assists, making him the only player in the league to average 30 points and 10 rebounds this season.

Sources:

  • [Source: Ben Golliver, "Shai Gilgeous-Alexander named NBA MVP, capping historic regular season," Yahoo Sports, 2023]
  • [Source: NBA.com, "Shai Gilgeous-Alexander wins NBA MVP award," 2023]
  • [Source: Sports Illustrated, "Shai Gilgeous-Alexander becomes second Canadian to win NBA MVP award," 2023]

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