Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was named the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP) on Sunday after the Thunder guard helped his side to a 103-91 victory over the Indiana Pacers at Oklahoma City’s Paycom Center.
“For me this is a win for my family, it’s a win for my friends, it’s a win for everybody that was in my corner growing up,” Gilgeous-Alexander, who has now become the first player since LeBron James in the 2012-2013 season to be named the MVP of both the regular season and the Finals in the same campaign, said.
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“It means everything. This is why you play the sport—you play every sport to win. We have a team full of competitors. We did what it took to be champions, and we deserve this. We rose to the moment, and here we are.”
The 26-year-old Canadian star joins an elite club of only 11 players to have achieved the feat, which includes James, Shaquille O’Neal, Tim Duncan, Hakeem Olajuwon, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Moses Malone, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Willis Reed.
Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 29 points, 12 assists, five rebounds, a pair of blocked shots, and a steal in the thrilling game 7 decider.
