OKC Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, widely known as SGA, has won the MVP award for the 2024-25 regular season. He led the NBA in scoring with the highest average points per game (32.7) and led the Thunder to a franchise record 68 wins this season. He won the award over the likes of Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Jayson Tatum, who finished 2nd, 3rd, and 4th in the MVP race, respectively.
After winning the award, SGA held a press conference where he addressed the media on his major achievement. He gave a long, emotional speech that will be abridged for this article. He began by thanking his teammates and the OKC Thunder organization for their contributions in his achievement.
He said, “I would like to start this whole speech by thanking my teammates, I can’t say enough how much you guys mean to me, not only as a basketball player but like as family.” Recalling their memories together, like shopping and eating, SGA said, “Without you guys, none of this would be possible, I want you guys to know that this award is your award too.”
After thanking the OKC Thunder organization from top to bottom, SGA went on to acknowledge that the organization facilitates the players and allows them “to be kids” and “grow” with the team and appreciated their contributions to his win.
He went on to show gratitude to his family and hometown people. He thanked his staff and the people from his hometown who worked with him and helped him become the player he is today. He showed gratitude to his own brother and said, “I also would like to thank my brother, my twin, my best friend since I was two years old, since we came out of the womb, thank you for everything, my partner in crime through it all”.
Further, he also thanked his parents with a special shoutout to his mother. He said, “If any of you guys know my mother, she’s crazy! And I told her the other day I always thought she was insane until I had a child, and I understood exactly what she was saying and exactly what she meant. I love the person that she’s turned me and my brother into.”
He concluded by breaking down in tears while talking about his wife, Hailey Summers. He said, “Sorry, I’m so dramatic. Hailey Summers, thank you for everything that you are for me and our son Ares. You are the first person to show me what love really meant, what sacrifice really meant, and I can’t wait to spend the rest of this journey called life with you. Thank you for everything, I wouldn’t be the man I am, I wouldn’t be the player that I am, I wouldn’t be the father that I am, without you. So thank you for that.”
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has now become the second Canadian (after Steve Nash) in NBA history to win the regular season MVP award and the first to win the Michael Jordan MVP trophy.
