Thunder's 'SGA' in rare air after Finals MVP prize rounds off remarkable season
June 22 (Reuters) - Shai Gilgeous-Alexander crowned one of the best individual seasons in NBA history by guiding the Oklahoma City Thunder to the league championship and being named the MVP of the Finals after their victory over Indiana in Game 7 on Sunday.
Gilgeous-Alexander is only the fourth player - and the first since Shaquille O'Neal in 2000 - to earn the scoring title as well as league and Finals MVP honors in the same season.
"This isn't just a win for me - this is a win for my family, this is a win for my friends, this is a win for everybody who was in my corner growing up, this is a win for the fans, the best fans in the world," Gilgeous-Alexander said after hoisting the trophy at home in the Paycom Center.
The 103-91 win over the Pacers brought the franchise their first title since relocating from Seattle in 2008.
It also gave fans exactly what they have been dreaming of since the Los Angeles Clippers traded the promising point guard to Oklahoma City ahead of his sophomore season six years ago.
The key figure behind the franchise's rebuild, he lifted the Thunder into the postseason last year after three straight losing seasons before his breathtaking 2024-25 campaign.
Averaging 32.7 points on 51.9% shooting from the floor with 6.4 assists and five rebounds per game, the 26-year-old Canadian led the young Thunder team to a 68-14 record, good for the fifth-most wins in an NBA season.
"We definitely still have room to grow and that's the fun part of this. So many of us can still get better," Gilgeous-Alexander told reporters.
"It's not very many of us on the team that are quote-un-quote in our prime - or even close to it. We have a lot of room to grow individually and as a group and I'm excited for the future of this team."
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The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leads Oklahoma City Thunder to NBA glory
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander crowned one of the best individual seasons in NBA history by guiding the Oklahoma City Thunder to the league championship and being named the MVP of the Finals after their victory over Indiana in Game 7. Gilgeous-Alexander is only the fourth player - and the first since Shaquille O'Neal in 2000 - to earn the scoring title as well as league and Finals MVP honors in the same season. "This isn't just a win for me - this is a win for my family, this is a win for my friends, this is a win for everybody who was in my corner growing up, this is a win for the fans, the best fans in the world," Gilgeous-Alexander said after hoisting the trophy at home in the Paycom Center. The 103-91 win over the Pacers brought the franchise their first title since relocating from Seattle in 2008. It also gave fans exactly what they have been dreaming of since the Los Angeles Clippers traded the promising point guard to Oklahoma City ahead of his sophomore season six years ago. The key figure behind the franchise's rebuild, he lifted the Thunder into the postseason last year after three straight losing seasons before his breathtaking 2024-25 campaign. Averaging 32.7 points on 51.9% shooting from the floor with 6.4 assists and five rebounds per game, the 26-year-old Canadian led the young Thunder team to a 68-14 record, good for the fifth-most wins in an NBA season. "We definitely still have room to grow and that's the fun part of this. So many of us can still get better," Gilgeous-Alexander told reporters. "It's not very many of us on the team that are quote-un-quote in our prime - or even close to it. We have a lot of room to grow individually and as a group and I'm excited for the future of this team."
Scottish Sun
an hour ago
- Scottish Sun
Scott McTominay ‘targeted for stunning transfer as cash-rich club launch shock move for Napoli star'
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BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Gilgeous-Alexander guides Thunder to NBA glory
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander capped a dominant season as he led the Oklahoma City Thunder to the NBA Championship after beating the Indiana Pacers in game seven of the play-off Canadian, 26, scored 29 points and had 12 assists in their 103-91 success over the Indiana Pacers in Oklahoma to clinch the series 4-3 - the first time since 2016 that the finals had gone to a deciding seventh was named the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP) to add to his NBA regular season MVP award and scoring title, just the fourth player and the first since Shaquille O'Neal to achieve the rare treble in one is the Thunder's first title since the franchise moved to Oklahoma City from Seattle in 2008 after Seattle won the 1979 crown. The Pacers lost key player Tyrese Haliburton to a leg injury just seven minutes into the contest when he slipped and fell while driving towards the basket, but still held a narrow 48-47 lead at the Thunder, who with an average age of 25.6 are the youngest side to win an NBA Finals title since the Portland Trail Blazers in 1977, out-scored them 34-20 in the third quarter and pushed the lead out to as many as 22 points (90-68) in the fourth."It doesn't feel real, so many hours, so many moments, so many emotions, so many nights of disbelief," said Gilgeous-Alexander."It's crazy to know that we're all here. But this group worked for it, this group put in the hours and we deserved this.""Our togetherness on and off the court, like how much fun we have, it made it so much easier. It made it feel like we were just kids playing basketball. It was so fun."We have a lot to grow, individually and as a group. I'm excited for the future of this team. This is a great start. I'm really excited for this team." The Thunder completed a franchise record 68-win season, just four years after they recorded only 22 victories across a Covid-shortened 2020-21 campaign, their first under coach Mark Daigneault, who took over in November 2020."They behave like champions, they compete like champions," said the 40-year-old, who has overseen a dramatic change of fortunes which saw the Thunder break through last season with a play-off appearance."They root for each others' success, which is rare in professional sports. I've said it many times and I'll say it one more time - this is an uncommon team and now they're champions."The whole run I've tried to help the guys just be who we are, and all we needed is to be who we are." Agony for Haliburton The exit of Haliburton, who had scored three three-pointers in the first five minutes of the game, was a cruel blow for the 25-year-old point guard had suffered a right calf strain in Game 5 which he had been playing through, but he screamed with pain as he fell to the ground and had to be helped off court."What happened with Tyrese, all of our hearts dropped," Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said, adding that Haliburton was in the locker room at half-time "and he was very much a part of a group that believed that they could do this".Carlisle added: "He will be back. I don't have any medical information about what may or may not have happened. But he'll be back in time."
