Anshari Taslim
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been named the National Basketball Association’s Most Valuable Player for the 2025-26 season, marking his second consecutive win. The league announced the decision on Sunday evening, concluding a fiercely contested race that saw multiple candidates vie for the prestigious honor. Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning MVP, secured the award following an historically efficient offensive season that propelled the Thunder to the league’s best regular-season record. Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets and Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs finished second and third in the voting, respectively, as the other two finalists.
Despite a slight decrease in raw scoring from 32.7 to 31.1 points per game compared to his previous MVP campaign, Gilgeous-Alexander demonstrated remarkable efficiency in the 2025-26 season. He concluded the season with impressive shooting splits of 55.3% from the field, 38.6% from three-point range, and 87.9% from the free-throw line. This level of shooting accuracy, coupled with high volume, places his performance in rare company. Only one other player, Kevin Durant, achieved similar shooting percentages on more than 250 total shots, doing so in 47 games during the 2022-23 season. Gilgeous-Alexander surpassed this feat by maintaining these elite percentages across 68 games, while also reducing his total turnovers and nearly doubling his assist count. His ability to control the tempo, navigate defenses, and consistently convert high-percentage looks with minimal dribbles or wasted motion was a hallmark of his game, allowing the Thunder to maximize possessions and dictate the flow of contests. His surgical precision and effectiveness were further underscored by his usage rate; he averaged 31.1 points per game, second only to Luka Doncic, yet ranked 42nd in the league with 66.6 touches per game, translating to nearly one point for every two times he touched the ball.
Gilgeous-Alexander garnered significant support from the voting panel, receiving 83 out of 100 first-place votes. His total of 939 voting points comfortably outpaced the competition. Nikola Jokic, a three-time MVP himself, received 10 first-place votes and 634 total points, reflecting his strong individual performance. Victor Wembanyama, in only his third NBA season, secured five first-place votes and 569 points, indicating his burgeoning impact on the league. Luka Doncic, now with the Los Angeles Lakers, finished fourth with 250 points, while Detroit Pistons star Cade Cunningham, who received two first-place votes, rounded out the top five with 117 points. Jaylen Brown of the Boston Celtics placed sixth with 89 points, with Kawhi Leonard (Clippers) and Donovan Mitchell (Cavaliers) tying for seventh, each receiving one point.
The complete voting results for the 2026 NBA MVP are as follows:
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| Player | Team | First-place votes | Voting points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | Thunder | 83 | 939 |
| 2. Nikola Jokic | Nuggets | 10 | 634 |
| 3. Victor Wembanyama | Spurs | 5 | 569 |
| 4. Luka Doncic | Lakers | 0 | 250 |
| 5. Cade Cunningham | Pistons | 2 | 117 |
| 6. Jaylen Brown | Celtics | 0 | 89 |
| T7. Kawhi Leonard | Clippers | 0 | 1 |
| T7. Donovan Mitchell | Cavaliers | 0 | 1 |
Gilgeous-Alexander’s individual brilliance was a primary factor in the Oklahoma City Thunder’s league-leading 64 regular-season victories. In a highly competitive Western Conference, the Thunder’s dominant record secured them the top seed and home-court advantage throughout the playoffs, a testament to Gilgeous-Alexander’s leadership and consistent performance. This achievement came despite significant roster challenges throughout the season. Key teammate Jalen Williams, who had been the only other Thunder player to make an All-Star Game prior to this season, played a diminished 33 games, reportedly hampered by a lingering injury that limited his effectiveness and availability. Furthermore, only Cason Wallace and Isaiah Joe managed to play 70 or more games, showcasing the team’s depth issues due to injuries. Several other crucial contributors, including Ajay Mitchell, Alex Caruso, and Isaiah Hartenstein, missed 25 or more contests. Gilgeous-Alexander’s ability to maintain an elite level of play, particularly in navigating these personnel shortages and elevating his teammates, solidified his case as the most valuable player to his team’s success.
The 2025-26 MVP race was dynamic, with the narrative shifting multiple times throughout the season before Gilgeous-Alexander ultimately cemented his position. He entered the season as a near wire-to-wire favorite, but early challenges emerged. Three-time MVP Nikola Jokic started the campaign with two historically productive offensive months, leveraging his unique blend of scoring, passing, and rebounding. His early season heroics, including multiple triple-doubles, initially appeared to position him for another dominant season. However, a mid-season knee injury hampered his ability to maintain that pace, opening the door for other contenders. Attention then momentarily shifted to the surprising Eastern Conference leaders: Cade Cunningham of the Detroit Pistons and Jaylen Brown of the Boston Celtics. Both players led their respective teams to unexpected heights, with Cunningham showcasing significant growth as a primary playmaker and scorer, and Brown anchoring a Celtics team that defied early season expectations, generating MVP buzz in the middle portion of the season.
As the season progressed, neither Cunningham nor Brown sustained their early momentum to become genuine threats for the top spot. Instead, a late surge in March saw Luka Doncic and Victor Wembanyama make significant pushes. Doncic, following a stellar second half of the season with the Lakers, entered the conversation with high-scoring performances. His candidacy, however, was ultimately derailed by an injury sustained in a blowout loss to Gilgeous-Alexander’s Thunder, effectively removing him from the hunt. Wembanyama, despite showcasing generational talent and unprecedented defensive metrics, was carefully managed by the Spurs coaching staff, preventing him from accumulating the sheer volume of minutes typically associated with an MVP campaign. Nikola Jokic made a late-season charge, but his earlier missed time and perceived deficiencies on the defensive end were not enough to overcome Gilgeous-Alexander’s consistent excellence and team success.
With this second consecutive MVP award, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander enters an exclusive club within NBA history. He is now the 16th player to win multiple MVP awards and, significantly, the 14th player to achieve the feat consecutively. This places him alongside legendary figures who have demonstrated sustained individual dominance. The list of multi-time winners includes six two-time MVPs (Giannis Antetokounmpo, Stephen Curry, Tim Duncan, Karl Malone, Steve Nash, Bob Pettit), four three-time MVPs (Nikola Jokic, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Moses Malone), two four-time MVPs (Wilt Chamberlain, LeBron James), two five-time MVPs (Michael Jordan, Bill Russell), and the lone six-time MVP (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar).
The pantheon of consecutive MVP winners, a testament to enduring excellence, includes:
| Player | Seasons |
|---|---|
| Bill Russell | 1961-63 |
| Wilt Chamberlain | 1966-68 |
| Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | 1971-72, 1976-77 |
| Moses Malone | 1982-83 |
| Larry Bird | 1984-86 |
| Magic Johnson | 1989-90 |
| Michael Jordan | 1991-92 |
| Tim Duncan | 2002-03 |
| Steve Nash | 2005-06 |
| LeBron James | 2009-10, 2012-13 |
| Stephen Curry | 2015-16 |
| Giannis Antetokounmpo | 2019-20 |
| Nikola Jokic | 2021-22 |
| Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | 2025-26 |
This remarkable achievement also extends a notable trend in the NBA. Gilgeous-Alexander’s victory marks the eighth consecutive season that the MVP award has been claimed by a player born outside of the United States. This streak began with Giannis Antetokounmpo’s two consecutive wins, followed by two for Nikola Jokic, then Joel Embiid, another for Jokic, and now Gilgeous-Alexander’s two trophies. Furthermore, Gilgeous-Alexander joins Steve Nash as only the second Canadian player to win multiple MVP awards, highlighting the growing international influence in the league.
At 27 years old during the 2025-26 season, Gilgeous-Alexander’s age suggests he remains within the historical peak for MVP candidates. Every MVP winner since Derrick Rose in 2011 has fallen between their age-24 and age-28 seasons. This places Gilgeous-Alexander squarely in the prime age range, hinting at the possibility of a historic three-peat. However, achieving three consecutive MVP awards is an exceedingly rare feat, one that has eluded many of the game’s all-time greats. Only Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, and Larry Bird have managed to win the award three times in a row. Even legends like Michael Jordan and LeBron James, widely considered the two greatest players in basketball history, were unable to accomplish this. The most recent attempt at a three-peat came from Nikola Jokic in 2023, a race that proved highly controversial. Joel Embiid ultimately claimed the award that year, with some critics citing Jokic’s lack of a championship ring as a factor against him, an irony given Jokic would win his first NBA championship just months later.
Beyond individual accolades, Gilgeous-Alexander also has the opportunity to etch his name into an even more exclusive chapter of NBA history. Having secured his first NBA championship title just a year prior (in the 2024-25 season), famously defeating Nikola Jokic’s Nuggets along the way, he now stands on the precipice of a rare dual achievement. Should he lead the Thunder to a second consecutive NBA championship in June, simultaneously claiming the Finals MVP award, he would join an unparalleled group. Only two players in the history of the sport have won both the regular-season MVP and Finals MVP awards in back-to-back seasons: Michael Jordan in 1991 and 1992, and LeBron James in 2012 and 2013. This extraordinary potential highlights the current trajectory of Gilgeous-Alexander’s career. His second consecutive MVP trophy is not merely an individual honor but a testament to a player operating at the absolute zenith of his abilities, solidifying his legacy as one of the greatest guards in NBA history.
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