Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was named the 2024-25 Kia NBA MVP, the league announced on Tuesday. This is the first time Gilgeous-Alexander has been named MVP.
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic came second in voting while Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo came in third. Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James finished sixth in voting after another exceptional season for the 40-year-old.
Gilgeous-Alexander was considered the favorite for the award throughout the regular season as he led the Thunder to the NBA’s best record and the No. 1 seed in a loaded Western Conference with 68 wins. For the season, Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 32.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, 6.4 assists and 1.6 steals on 51.9 percent shooting from the field.
Gilgeous-Alexander is more than deserving of the award given his historic offensive season as well as his contributions on the defensive end. The voting reflects his hard work and Oklahoma City’s recent success, as well as the season that James had with the Lakers earning his fair share of votes, via NBA PR:
A global media panel of 100 voters selected the winner of the 2024-25 Kia NBA Most Valuable Player Award.
The complete voting results ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/j4nqOAWVT2
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) May 21, 2025
While Gilgeous-Alexander has the opportunity to add to his trophy collection this playoffs, James and the Lakers are currently waiting for their shot to get back in the postseason race next year. Even in Year 22, James looked like one of the best players in the league as he put up numbers nearly in line for his career. James averaged 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 8.2 assists, though he did that amidst so much roster turnover in the middle of the season.
James started the year taking a backseat to Anthony Davis, but later had to shift roles after the team landed Luka Doncic from the Dallas Maverick. James’ role evolved from that of a perimeter creator to more of a big man setting screens and fighting for rebounds.
Head coach JJ Redick entrusted James as the team’s center in their small-ball lineups and he performed admirably in the regular season and playoffs. For James to earn as many MVP votes as he did this late into his career speaks to how well he takes care of himself and his body, as well as his dedication to the game of basketball.
While James has yet to fully commit to playing next season, the early indication is he’ll return for at least one more season. At age 40, he becomes the oldest player in league history to receive MVP votes.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander includes LeBron James and Kobe Bryant in perfect player
Modern NBA stars like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander grew up idolizing players like Lakers stars LeBron James and Kobe Bryant. With that in mind, it was no surprise to hear Gilgeous-Alexander include James and Bryant when building out his perfect player.
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