For Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Kia MVP is just another victory on the way towards the championship goal

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Oklahoma City – The youngest of the three MVP winners of the Thunder – Four when they enclose James Harden, who was collected from this franchise before winning his award in Houston – is enthusiastic about being part of this exclusive group.

“Every conversation that I am with these two men who did amazing things,” said Shai Gilgeous-Alexander because he is summarized with Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, “is difficult to put into words.”

But Shai is not excused where he wants to differ from these two, and it's about what you have never achieved in Oklahoma City:

“I want to win a championship,” he said.

Gilgeous-Alexander is partially the MVP because he had an outstanding 2024-25 season. He was the champion of the league, did this with high efficiency, ranked to the Steals Leaders and collected an envied amount of blocked shots for a point guard. These were his qualifications and they have proven its effects on both ends of the soil.

But Okc hadn't won 68 games and conveniently captured the top seeds in the west, maybe someone else would have taken the MVP trophy home with them.

The win has made a decisive difference Between him and Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetocounmpo, the other two finalists. Shai won more than anyone else this season. And win a championship – OKC has the chance to do this next month – is what he says. As it should.

Gilgeous-Aalexander convicted his teammates with Rolex watches, and when he spoke of a podium in the team's exercise facility on Wednesday, these players wore tailor-made T-shirts that reminded him to win the MVP price.

“As a group, we prioritize the right things,” he said about the thunder. “We prioritize this, get better, the success of the other. Simply concentrate on these things, how can you get better. Every day is a learning process, what can we do the next day, in the next game.

“If you take this mentality, you will be good at it. Become a better team. This mentality has changed this group.”

And Shai is the heart. He couldn't quite remember the moment when he felt that he was playing at MVP level, even though the evidence indicates the last two seasons, at least when he collected MVP votes. He finished second at Jokic last season.

He arrived in OKC As part of the blockbuster trade in summer 2019, where Paul George goes to the clipper. At the time of the trade, George was the price, and if at all, Gilgeous-Alexander-Der was a decent rookie season in the package of the five No. 1 picks and two swaps.

OKC wanted to use the future draft of Capital to rebuild and find the next Paul George. The thunder didn't know much that Shai would turn out to be much more valuable than the star they acted.

They gave him the ball and an opportunity, but it was up to him to invest the work. He became one of the most creative and dangerous goal scorers from the league mainly on the mid-range and let the thunder build around him.

Suddenly a later MVP, who was cut from his junior university team in eighth grade, recognized that he lived the dream.

“I had nights when I thought I wasn't good in basketball,” he said. “I had nights when I thought I was the best player in the world before I was. It was up and down. My mentality is to stay through everything, and that really helped me as soon as I found it out. When I was on my lowest trust, my way of thinking helped me to attack these situations.

“I always thought I could be a really good player because I saw what their heads reduced and worked and controlled what they can control for them. I made enormous progress, but I never thought that this would happen.”

What's next for Gilgeous-Alexander when the MVP is secured, together with a hit and other marginal advantages? Unlike a championship?

“Everything remains”, “ he said. “When I picked up a basketball at the age of 9, I never sat there and said:” I want to be an all-star. “I was sitting there and said:” I want to win this tournament. “Win everything and if you don't win, nothing is important.

“This is how I see competition in general. Whether you are with your friends in a men's league when you are 55 years old, whether it is a beginner basketball, you want to play to win. I am here.”

Yes, win. Capturing the MVP is a first step in this direction in which it can collect victories. And if he does this, if that is the way in front of us, Shai will actually distance himself from two other Thunder legends.

“I know Kevin, I know Russ,” he said. “You only dreamed of working hard as I did. And that can happen.”

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Shaun Powell has covered the NBA for more than 25 years. You can send him an email Herefind His archive here And Follow him on X.

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