Shai Gilgeous-Alexander wins second straight NBA MVP
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has secured his place in the record books, with ESPN reporting on Sunday that the Oklahoma City Thunder star has won his second consecutive NBA MVP award. SGA becomes just the 14th player in league history to repeat as MVP, following a historic season where he led the Thunder to a league-best 64 wins.
- Sports
- AFP
- Published Date: 11:40 | 17 May 2026
Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been named the NBA's Most Valuable Player for a second straight season, ESPN reported on Sunday.
Gilgeous-Alexander, who is also the reigning NBA Finals MVP, is due to be officially named as the winner of the award later Sunday in a televised announcement.
The ESPN report did not provide details of the voting for the award, which saw Gilgeous-Alexander up against San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama and Denver's Nikola Jokic.
Canadian star Gilgeous-Alexander, 27, joins an elite club of only 14 NBA players who have won back-to-back MVP honors.
Nuggets star Jokic was the last to achieve the feat in 2021 and 2022, while the Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo also went back-to-back in 2019 and 2020.
Other players to have won consecutive MVPs include Stephen Curry, LeBron James, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird.
Gilgeous-Alexander's second award comes after another dazzling individual season that saw him average 31.1 points and 6.6 assists per game, helping the Thunder to a 64-18 record that saw them finish on top of the Western Conference.
The Thunder face Wembanyama and the Spurs in game one of the Western Conference finals on Monday.
Gilgeous-Alexander's MVP also extends a streak of overseas players to win the honor.
The last American to win NBA MVP was James Harden in 2018.