Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Named NBA MVP For 2024-25 Season

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been named the NBA's Most Valuable Player for the 2024-25 season, surpassing Nikola Joki in the voting. This marks Gilgeous-Alexander's first MVP award and continues a trend of non-American players winning the accolade for seven consecutive years. He joins Steve Nash as the second Canadian to achieve this honour.

The announcement came shortly after Gilgeous-Alexander's Oklahoma City Thunder triumphed over Joki's Denver Nuggets in a decisive Game 7 of their Western Conference semi-final series. During these games, Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 29.7 points, 6.6 assists, and 6.4 rebounds, including a standout performance with 35 points in the final game.

Throughout the regular season, Gilgeous-Alexander led the league with an average of 32.7 points per game, earning him the scoring title. He also topped the NBA charts in several categories: four 50-point games, thirteen 40-point games, forty-nine 30-point games, and seventy-five 20-point games.

His defensive prowess was equally impressive, ranking fifth in steals with an average of 1.72 per game and contributing 1.01 blocks per game. Notably, he was the only player to average more than one block and at least 1.5 steals per game.

Under Gilgeous-Alexander's leadership, the Thunder achieved a league-best record of 68 wins during the regular season. They set an NBA record for scoring differential by outscoring opponents by an average of 12.9 points per game.

Gilgeous-Alexander also posted a remarkable plus-minus rating of 12.1, which is the highest since Stephen Curry's rating of 12.8 during the Golden State Warriors' successful run in the 2016-17 season.

Nikola Joki's Impressive Season

Nikola Joki had his best statistical season yet but fell short of securing his fourth MVP award. Known for his comprehensive skill set and strategic gameplay, Joki averaged career highs with 29.6 points and ten assists per game alongside twelve rebounds.

Joki ranked third in both scoring and rebounding while placing second in assists across the league. His performance made him the first player since Wilt Chamberlain to rank top three in these categories simultaneously.

Giannis Antetokounmpo's Playoff Struggles

Despite Giannis Antetokounmpo's impressive averages of thirty-three points and fifteen rebounds during Milwaukee Bucks' playoff series against Indiana Pacers, his team exited early for a third consecutive year.

The former two-time MVP finished second in league scoring with an average of thirty points per game but could not propel his team beyond the first round once again.

This season highlighted exceptional performances from multiple players but ultimately celebrated Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as he claimed his first MVP award amidst fierce competition from peers like Nikola Joki and Giannis Antetokounmpo.