Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has put together a year of historic firsts, and he just added a monumental second. Following an incredible regular season, Gilgeous-Alexander officially became the fourteenth player in league history and just the seventh this century to win back-to-back Kia NBA MVP Awards.
The star guard joins an elite list of back-to-back winners since 2000, including Nikola Jokić, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Stephen Curry, LeBron James, Tim Duncan, and fellow Canadian Steve Nash. The consecutive honor comes at a perfect time as the two-time reigning MVP prepares to lead the Thunder against the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Finals.
Gilgeous-Alexander elevated his game to an unprecedented tier. He broke Wilt Chamberlain’s long-standing NBA record for the most consecutive games scoring 20 or more points. He also became the first player since Chamberlain in the 1963-64 season to score at least 20 points in every regular-season appearance, with a minimum of 50 games played.
Furthermore, he joined Michael Jordan as the only guards to average at least 30 points per game while shooting 50 percent or better from the field in four consecutive years. He stands alone as the only guard in NBA history to average 30 or more points per game on 55 percent or higher shooting. His high-stakes efficiency also led the league in total clutch points, earning him the Kia NBA Clutch Player of the Year award. Anchoring the top-seeded Thunder, he finished the regular season with the league’s highest plus-minus rating at +788, outpacing his nearest competitor by more than 100 points.
