Nikola Jokic going down with a knee injury was bad news for the basketball world, but it was good news for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s MVP odds. The Oklahoma City Thunder supernova is now in prime position to repeat as MVP, a feat that would place him in very rare company in the history of the league.
Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey recently talked about the likelihood of SGA repeating as MVP at season’s end.
“Following news of Nikola Jokić’s hyperextended knee that could cost him over four weeks of games, this barely qualifies as “bold,” but Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is going to repeat as MVP,” Bailey wrote on January 1. “And while the betting odds may make this seem like a relatively unremarkable feat right now, the company SGA is about to join does the opposite.”
“In just a few short months, we’ll be able to add SGA’s name to the following list: Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Moses Malone, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Tim Duncan, Steve Nash, LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jokić,” Bailey continued.
“It’s almost like a guided tour through NBA history, and Gilgeous-Alexander averaging somewhere around 32 points, six assists and five rebounds for a 70-win team will make him one of the stops on it.”
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Gilgeous-Alexander entered the NBA in 2018 after being drafted 11th overall by the Charlotte Hornets and traded to the Los Angeles Clippers on draft night. In his rookie season, he earned All-Rookie Second Team honors with efficient scoring and playmaking. Traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2019, he quickly became the franchise’s cornerstone, posting breakout numbers in 2022-23 with 31.4 points per game and finishing fifth in MVP voting.
By 2023-24, Gilgeous-Alexander secured his first All-NBA First Team selection and placed second in MVP balloting, averaging 30.1 points while leading the Thunder to the top Western Conference seed. His pinnacle arrived in 2024-25, capturing the scoring title at 32.7 points per contest, earning MVP, and guiding Oklahoma City to its first championship with Western Conference Finals MVP and Finals MVP awards.
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In the ongoing 2025-26 season, through 34 games as of January 3, SGA is averaging 32.1 points, 6.4 assists, and 4.6 rebounds per game on 56.1 percent shooting, maintaining his elite status amid another absurd Thunder campaign.
Featured image via Cary Edmondson/Imagn Images
