In many ways, the 2025/26 NBA season and postseason are going the way that we expected. There have been a few surprises, and there might yet be a few twists and turns, but back in October, everyone thought that the Oklahoma City Thunder – the reigning champions – would be the most dominant team, and so far, that has gone smoothly. The OKC finished the season with the best record, and it looks to be sailing through the Playoffs towards the NBA Finals.
Another prediction that most experts found consensus on was that the OKC’s franchise star, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, could and should be crowned as the league’s best player. He was the clear favorite in the NBA MVP betting odds for the majority of the season, and the accolade seems nailed on. He can add that to a glowing resume, which includes last season’s MVP award and Finals MVP award.
SGA is in a venerable company
In fact, if SGA goes on to win the Championship and is again crowned Finals MVP, he will join Michael Jordan and LeBron James as the only players to have achieved the MVP ‘double’ feat back to back. That is some illustrious company to be in. Then again, almost all of SGA’s accolades put him in illustrious company. For example, on his run across the Playoffs last season, he joined Kobe Bryant, Jordan, and Hakeem Olajuwon as the only players to have 15 or more 30+ scoring games in a season’s Playoffs. And, he also joins Jordan, Shaquille O’Neal, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the only players to win the regular-season MVP, Finals MVP, and scoring title in the same season.
All of those players mentioned alongside SGA are bona fide all-time greats, almost all ever-presents in lists that are produced of the greatest players in history. So, why does it feel that SGA does not get the recognition? Indeed, despite those MVP accolades, we often see players like Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic top fan-made lists of best active players. It’s a strange state of affairs.
Naturally, you may argue that the Canadian’s time at the top has been short, and that he did take a few years to find his feet in the NBA. At 27, he is coming into his peak now, but fans also value longevity, and they will likely judge him when he has had more time at the top of the game.
Fans are disgruntled with SGA’s playing style
Yet, there is also a matter of perception. SGA is not popular with rival fans in the same manner as, say, Steph Curry or LeBron James. The OKC faithful love him, for sure, but rival fans consistently point to his style of playing, including his ability to draw fouls, as a negative. We don’t buy any of the more colorful criticisms, including the conspiracy theories that SGA has referees in his pocket. But it’s enough to say that his abrasive style has knocked some fans’ noses out of joint, even if his numbers say something completely different to the picture those fans are trying to create.
In the end, it is all too difficult to start debating over who is the best and what should – and what shouldn’t – detract from a player’s greatness. Yet, we can save with complete certainty that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the most ‘consequential’ player in the NBA right now. That’s exactly what the sports journalists voting on MVP awards understand.
