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Sports Lens
Sports Lens
Zach Wolpin

Can Shai Gilgeous-Alexander become the 7th player to win MVP, scoring title, and Finals MVP in the same season?

Last week, the Oklahoma City Thunder punched their ticket to the NBA Finals with a 124-94 win vs. the Timberwolves. They went 68-14 during the regular season and were the #1 seed in the West playoffs. 

The 2024-25 season has been an exceptional year for OKC as a team and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as an individual. He was named the 2024-25 NBA MVP and had the scoring title this past season. If SGA wins Finals MVP in 2025, he could join an elite group of players. Only Kareem Abdul-Jabar, Michael Jordan (4x), and Shaquille O’Neal have won MVP, the scoring title, and Finals MVP in the same season.

Can SGA cap off his historic season by winning Finals MVP?

The 2024-25 season has been an incredible year individually for PG Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. He played and started 76 of OKC’s 82 games. For the third consecutive season, SGA averaged over 30+ points per game. In 76 starts this season, the 2024-25 MVP averaged 32.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, 6.4 assists, and 1.7 steals per game. On top of winning MVP this season, SGA’s 32.7 points per game were the best in the league.

That gave him the 2024-25 scoring title. The 26-year-old is 2/3 of the way there to having an astronomically historic season. He’s already won league MVP and has the scoring title. SGA has the chance to become the fourth player to win MVP, the scoring title, and Finals MVP in the same season. The first player to accomplish this feat was Kareem Abdul-Jabbar with the Bucks in 1971.

Michael Jordan accomplished this four times in his legendary career. In 1991, 1992, 1996, and 1998. The last time a player won all three in the same season was Lakers’ Shaquille O’Neal in 2000. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander could be the last player in the last 25 years to join this prestigious club. SGA has made a serious impact on OKC in the postseason. He averaged 31.4 points per game in the Western Conference Finals. Can Gilgeous-Alexander cap off his historic season by winning Finals MVP? The Thunder are heavy favorites to win the NBA Finals.

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