Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Wins 2025 NBA MVP Title, Extending Foreign-Born Streak

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the Oklahoma City Thunder's star point guard, has been named the 2025 NBA Most Valuable Player, making him the seventh consecutive foreign-born player to receive the award. This streak marks the longest in league history. Gilgeous-Alexander, a Canadian, earned 71 first-place votes and 29 second-place votes from a panel of 100 media members to secure the title. He outpaced Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic, who received 29 first-place votes and 71 second-place votes.

Gilgeous-Alexander's impressive regular season performance, which included averages of 32.7 points, 6.4 assists, and five rebounds per game, contributed significantly to the Thunder's 68-14 record. He also led the league in free-throw attempts (7.9) and shot attempts (21.8). The Thunder's outstanding regular season, which saw them outscore teams by 12.9 points per game, was a franchise record, and they finished as the top seed in the Western Conference for the second consecutive season.

Key Takeaways:

This marks the seventh consecutive year a foreign-born player has won the NBA MVP award, extending the longest streak in league history.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, a Canadian, has become the second Canadian to win the MVP title, following Steve Nash's two-time wins.
Gilgeous-Alexander was voted as the NBA regular-season MVP on Wednesday night, beating Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
He earned 913 points overall from a panel of 100 voters, while Jokic had 787 points.
Gilgeous-Alexander thanked his wife, Hailey Summers, in his MPG award speech, crediting her with showing him love and sacrifice.
He has averaged 32.7 points, 6.4 assists, and five rebounds per game this season, leading the Thunder to a 68-14 record.
The Thunder outscored teams by 12.9 points per game, the biggest margin in league history, and finished as the top seed in the Western Conference for the second consecutive season.

Statistics:

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander earned 913 points overall from a panel of 100 voters.
Nikola Jokic had 787 points from the same panel.
The Thunder outscored teams by 12.9 points per game this season.
The team ended the regular season with a franchise-record 68 victories.

Sources:

"NBA communications" (@NBAPR) on Twitter, May 21, 2025.
The Associated Press, referenced in the original text.