The Oklahoma City Thunder`s decisive 103-91 victory in Game 7 of the NBA Finals on Sunday marked a monumental achievement for the franchise, securing their first championship since relocating to OKC. It was equally a crowning moment for their star guard, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who punctuated an exceptionally successful individual season with 29 points and 12 assists in the deciding game, becoming only the fifth player ever to achieve a 20-point, 10-assist performance in a Finals Game 7.
During the 2024-25 season, Gilgeous-Alexander secured the scoring title, the MVP award, and the NBA championship, all while guiding his team to the highest point differential in league history. This remarkable year could soon culminate in him signing a four-year extension worth $293.4 million, setting a new benchmark for the highest average salary in the sport`s history.
At just 26 years old, Gilgeous-Alexander is rapidly climbing the ranks of basketball`s all-time greats. He and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar are the only players in NBA history to have won an MVP, Finals MVP, and a scoring title by the age of 26. (Bob Pettit accomplished a similar feat with a title and MVP before the Finals MVP award existed in 1958).
Following his historic achievements and Oklahoma City`s championship triumph, it`s timely to analyze Gilgeous-Alexander`s surprising rise, his burgeoning legacy, and the lofty statistical comparisons he now commands.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander`s Unlikely Path to Stardom
Gilgeous-Alexander`s path to this NBA peak was anything but guaranteed. He was ranked 30th in his high school class, behind many who never reached the NBA. In his single college season, he wasn`t even his team`s top freshman scorer. Although drafted in the lottery at No. 11, he was traded twice in his rookie year: first on draft night from Charlotte to the Clippers, then the next summer to Oklahoma City as a key piece in the Paul George trade. Despite a strong first season, he only made the All-Rookie Second Team.
While other recent MVPs like Nikola Jokic (second round pick) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (late start in Greece) might have more unconventional origin stories, Gilgeous-Alexander`s trajectory dramatically exceeded early expectations. Pre-draft, ESPN compared him to players like Shaun Livingston and Patrick McCaw, neither of whom ever averaged double-digit points in a season.
Seven years later, Gilgeous-Alexander is already a guaranteed Hall of Famer, even if his career ended today. His resume significantly surpasses that of Derrick Rose, the only retired MVP not in the Hall, who never made another All-NBA team after his MVP year.
More impressively, Gilgeous-Alexander`s standing is measured against many of the NBA`s historical elite. Among guards named to the NBA`s 75th Anniversary Team, he already matches Isiah Thomas, Steve Nash, Allen Iverson, and Tiny Archibald with three First-Team All-NBA selections. He has more such selections than Lenny Wilkens, Russell Westbrook, Dwyane Wade, John Stockton, Gary Payton, Pete Maravich, Earl Monroe, Reggie Miller, Damian Lillard, Sam Jones, Hal Greer, Dave Bing, and Ray Allen.
This places Gilgeous-Alexander not just in the Hall of Fame, but likely among the top 50 or so players historically, depending on how peak performance is weighed against career longevity. While he doesn`t yet have the cumulative stats of many legends, his MVP finishes (1st in 2025, 2nd in 2024, 5th in 2023) already rank him 35th in career MVP award shares. Another solid season could push him into the top 30, and two more strong campaigns could land him in the top 20.
Examining SGA`s Elite Scoring Prowess
While a well-rounded player (leading the league in steals last season), scoring is Gilgeous-Alexander`s paramount skill. He is now one of only 15 players in NBA history to average at least 30 points in three separate seasons. He combines this high-volume scoring with elite efficiency, mastering the midrange, finishing skillfully around the rim, and consistently hitting free throws at nearly a 90% rate. Only Gilgeous-Alexander and Adrian Dantley have achieved at least three seasons with 30+ points per game on 62% or better true shooting.
It`s true that scoring efficiency league-wide is currently at an all-time high. However, this context simply underscores how effectively Gilgeous-Alexander has capitalized on the modern game to become one of the most efficient high-volume scorers ever seen.
Gilgeous-Alexander excels in the most critical offensive actions of the contemporary NBA. Over the last three seasons, he ranks second among players with at least 300 isolations in points per isolation, and fourth among those with at least 1,500 screens as the ball handler in points per pick-and-roll play (trailing only Tyrese Haliburton in both categories). He is the undisputed “driving king” of the league, leading in drives every season over the last five years, with over 1,000 more total drives than second-place Luka Doncic.
High scoring totals don`t always translate to postseason success; Michael Jordan`s three highest-scoring seasons didn`t result in championships. Yet, Gilgeous-Alexander has successfully paired individual scoring dominance with ultimate team success. Since the introduction of the shot clock, only Gilgeous-Alexander, Jordan (six times), Shaquille O`Neal, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar have won both the scoring title and the NBA championship in the same season.
Furthermore, SGA`s 32.7 points per game in the 2024-25 regular season stand as the highest scoring average for any player who won the championship that season, just edging out Michael Jordan`s 32.6 PPG in 1992-93. Gilgeous-Alexander also narrowly surpasses Jordan for the highest usage rate by a champion (34.8% vs. Jordan`s 34.7% in 1992-93).
Speaking of Jordan, whose name frequently appears in historical comparisons, here is a notable comparison contrasting Gilgeous-Alexander`s past three seasons (ages 24-26) with Jordan`s from 1991 to 1993 (ages 27-29) – arguably the most dominant three-season stretch for a guard in NBA history. The numbers are remarkably similar offensively: identical points per game (31.4), assists (SGA 6.0, MJ 5.7), turnovers (2.5), usage (SGA 33.5%, MJ 33.1%), and league-adjusted true shooting efficiency (+9% relative to league average for both). Rebounds favored Jordan (6.4 vs 5.1). MVP finishes differ (MJ 1st, 1st, 3rd; SGA 1st, 2nd, 5th). While Jordan won three titles in his span and was a superior defender (All-Defensive First Team all three years), their offensive profiles are eerily similar.
What Lies Ahead for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander`s Legacy?
Amidst the deserved praise for Oklahoma City`s masterful roster construction – their astute trades, overlooked finds, and timely extensions – Shai Gilgeous-Alexander`s individual importance can sometimes feel understated. Imagine, however, if the Thunder had executed the Paul George trade without Gilgeous-Alexander. A team centered around Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, and a trove of draft picks would still possess great potential, perhaps akin to a Western Conference version of the Orlando Magic with their young stars.
Yet, such a hypothetical team would almost certainly not be NBA champions boasting the best regular-season point differential in league history. While depth and youth are valuable assets, winning a championship ultimately requires an MVP-caliber superstar. That is the paramount advantage Gilgeous-Alexander provides the Thunder, serving as the primary catalyst for their rapid ascent from rebuilding to lifting the Larry O`Brien Trophy.
Crucially, that same depth and youth, coupled with the rapid improvement of sidekicks Williams and Holmgren, are vital for Gilgeous-Alexander to further elevate his legacy. This creates a mutually beneficial dynamic: for SGA to climb higher among the NBA`s all-time greats, he will almost certainly need more championships. This is challenging in the modern NBA, which has seen a record seven different champions in the last seven years. However, Oklahoma City is arguably the best-positioned team since the mid-2010s Golden State Warriors to leverage their first title into initiating a true dynasty.
Recent NBA fans have been privileged to witness numerous all-time talents winning multiple MVP awards and championships, including Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and of course, LeBron James and Stephen Curry. It remains too early to definitively place Gilgeous-Alexander on their esteemed historical pedestal. However, considering his youth, his accomplishments to date, and the exceptional opportunity for sustained team success with the Thunder, that ultimate pedestal appears well within his reach.
