The Thunder Guard Gilgeous-Alexander has NBAS most valuable player | The Arkansa's democrat gazette

The case for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was simple. He is the best player in a team of Oklahoma City Thunder, who had the best record this season and set a league brand for winning the victory. If that weren't enough, he also won the goal title.

This is an MVP year.

Gilgeous-Alexander was announced on Wednesday as the most valuable NBA player when he won the award for the first time. His victory was the seventh year in a row in which a player who was born outside the USA won MVP and the longest extended such series in the history of the league.

“They try so much throughout the season that they don't think about it and only worry about playing basketball and getting better,” said Gilgeous-Alexander when the results were unveiled. “But as a competitor and as a child who dreams of the game, it is always in mind.”

It was ultimately a two-person race. Gilgeous-Alexander received 71 votes in first place and 29 votes in second place; The Denver Center Nikola Jokic received the other 29 votes in first place and the other 71 votes in second place.

The striker of Milwaukee Giannis Antetokounmpo finished third and received 88 of the 100 possible votes in third place.

Gilgeous-Alexander-Die No. 11 selection in the draft of 2018 inheritance this season an average of 32.7 points, 6.4 assists and 5 rebounds per game, which led the thunder to a record of 68 to 14. The Thunder implemented the teams by 12.9 points per game, the biggest lead in the history of the league.

He became the second Canadian who won MVP; Steve Nash won it twice. And Gilgeous-Alexander is the first security guard to win MVP since James Harden in 2018.

“His value is his self-confidence,” said Kenrich Williams, striker of Oklahoma City, about Gilgeous-Alexander, his Thunder teammate in the last five seasons. “His trust he has in himself and the trust he gives in each of his teammates, including the coach.”

Jokic – winner of the three of the last four MVP awards – was in spite of a season for the centuries second. He achieved an average of 29.6 points, 12.7 rebounds and 10.2 assists per game, the first center that has average a triple double and the first player in the top three of the NBA in all three categories since their persecution.

It was the sixth instance of a player who ended a season who ended a triple-double-double-double-double, 10 assists and 10 rebounds per game. Russell Westbrook did four times and Oscar Robertson, but only one of these three-doubled seasons led to an MVP victory.

“He is a special player,” Jokic said about Gilgeous-Alexander at the beginning of this week when thunder eliminated the Nuggets in the semi-finals of the Western Conference. “His choice of firing, his ability to shot … he is always there. He is a special player.”

Antetocounmpo, who achieved an average of 30.4 points, 11.9 rebounds and 6.5 assists per game this season, started this run of international players who won MVP. Antetocounmpo made of Greek and Nigerian descent won in 2019 and 2020.

Jokic, a Serbian, won in 2021, 2022 and 2024. The Philadelphia center Joel Embiid, born in Cameroon, has since won the prize in 2023.

Now it is Gilgeous-Alexander-a son of Ontario, where hockey wears the MVP flag. He was fifth in the vote two years ago and last year behind Jokic and used this narrow end as a fuel this season.

“There are voters every year. That will never change,” said Gilgeous-Alexander. “And last year it only meant that more people thought that I shouldn't have won. This year I wanted to change the narrative and let it turn it around. I think I did a good job.”

The striker of Boston, Jayson Tatum, was fourth, the Cleveland-Wachmann Donovan Mitchell and Los Angeles Lakers striker LeBron James-Das 20th time in his 22-year career that he received MVP votes.

The guards of the Detroit Guard Cade Cunningham and the Minnesota -Wachmann Anthony Edwards were for the seventh Golden State Guard Stephen Curry of the ninth and three players – the Los Angeles Clipper Guard Harden, New York guards Jalen Brunson and the striker Evan Mobey, Cleveland, for the 10th place.

The MVP price, like most other NBA ceremonies, was coordinated by a global body of 100 authors and transmitters who cover the league shortly before the playoffs begin and hand in ballot paper.