Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was officially named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player for the 2025-26 campaign on Sunday, successfully defending the award he captured a year earlier. After a season-long battle that featured several challengers, the Oklahoma City Thunder superstar finished ahead of Denver’s Nikola Jokić and San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama to claim his second consecutive MVP trophy.
The final voting totals reflected Gilgeous-Alexander’s control of the race. He earned 83 of 100 first-place votes and collected 939 points overall, comfortably outpacing Jokić, who received 10 first-place selections and 634 points. Wembanyama placed third with five first-place votes and 569 points, while Luka Dončić and Cade Cunningham rounded out the top five.
By winning again, Gilgeous-Alexander became just the 16th player in league history to secure multiple MVP awards and the 14th to do it in back-to-back fashion. His second triumph also continued a remarkable trend, marking the eighth straight season in which the honor has gone to a player born outside the United States.
Efficiency sets Gilgeous-Alexander apart
Although his scoring average dipped from 32.7 points per game the previous year to 31.1, Gilgeous-Alexander elevated his offensive precision to historic levels. He completed the regular season shooting 55.3% from the field, 38.6% from three-point range, and 87.9% from the free-throw line, combining elite volume with extraordinary efficiency.
The only other player to match those percentages while taking more than 250 total shots was Kevin Durant during 47 games in the 2022-23 season. Gilgeous-Alexander maintained that standard across 68 appearances while also recording fewer turnovers and nearly doubling Durant’s assist total.
His production became even more impressive when considering how little he needed the ball compared to other scoring leaders. Despite averaging the NBA’s second-highest points total behind Dončić, he ranked only 42nd in touches per game at 66.6, essentially generating close to one point for every two possessions he handled.
Carrying Oklahoma City through adversity
Gilgeous-Alexander’s individual brilliance powered Oklahoma City to the league’s best regular-season record with 64 victories, despite significant roster instability. Jalen Williams, the only teammate besides Gilgeous-Alexander with prior All-Star experience, appeared in just 33 limited games, while multiple rotation players missed substantial stretches.
Only Cason Wallace and Isaiah Joe reached the 70-game mark for the Thunder, while contributors such as Ajay Mitchell, Alex Caruso, and Isaiah Hartenstein each lost at least 25 games. Even with those setbacks, Gilgeous-Alexander kept Oklahoma City atop the standings and maintained his frontrunner status for most of the year.
Several stars mounted challenges during different portions of the season. Jokić opened strongly before a knee issue slowed his momentum, Cunningham and Jaylen Brown briefly gained attention through their teams’ surprising Eastern Conference performances, and both Dončić and Wembanyama surged late. Ultimately, injuries, missed time, or limited minutes prevented each contender from overtaking the Thunder guard.
Historical milestones continue to grow
At 27 years old, Gilgeous-Alexander now sits squarely in the age range that has defined MVP winners since Derrick Rose’s 2011 victory, and his latest achievement places him alongside some of basketball’s most decorated names. He joined Steve Nash as the only Canadian-born player with multiple MVP trophies.
His back-to-back wins also positioned him for a possible chase at an even rarer accomplishment. Only Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, and Larry Bird have ever won the MVP award in three consecutive seasons, underscoring how difficult a potential three-peat would be.
Gilgeous-Alexander’s first championship and Finals MVP last season already strengthened his résumé, and another title this June could place him beside Michael Jordan and LeBron James as one of the only players to capture both regular-season MVP and Finals MVP in consecutive years. With his career now reaching extraordinary heights, his latest award further cements his standing among the game’s greatest guards.