Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (SGA) won his first Michael Jordan MVP Award over Nikola Jokic this season. After the news was confirmed, Gilgeous-Alexander showed his gratitude to his teammates by buying them gift hampers worth $10,000 each. The OKC Thunder hosted an event for SGA to celebrate his MVP win. They received their gift hampers at this event.
This means he spent over $140,000 on this gesture for his teammates. Let’s take a look at the contents of these gift hampers.
According to Shams Charania of ESPN, “This wasn’t your ordinary cheese plates, fruits, gift basket. Yes, there was a Rolex given to each player on the roster, but there was more, iPhones as well given to each player, Beats by Dr Dre headphones set, also Canada goose jackets, so this is well over $10,000 per gift basket.”
Charania further added, “The coolest part, maybe, I’m told, there was a 68-14 record emblem on each of those jackets signifying the team success that they had and commemorate how well this was around Shai Gilgeous Alexander.”
Gilgeous-Alexander received 71 of the 100 potential votes for first place in the MVP voting results. Nikola Jokic received 29, i.e, all of the remaining votes for first place. Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 32.7 points, 6.4 assists, and 5.0 rebounds in 76 games this season.
What Does This MVP Award Win Mean For SGA And The OKC Thunder
Gilgeous-Alexander gave an emotional speech at the event, proving that this award means a lot to him personally. Additionally, it comes as a confidence and morale booster for him and his entire team in the Playoffs as they play the Western Conference Finals (WCF) against the Timberwolves.
To put the cherry on top of a historic 68-win season for the Thunder, SGA might lead them to their first NBA championship. The Thunder, back when they were the Seattle Supersonics, went to the NBA Finals three times (1978, 1979, 1996), and then they went the last time with Kevin Durant in 2012. Now, the Thunder have taken a 2-0 lead in their WCF series against the Timberwolves.
Gilgeous-Alexander led all scorers in Game 2 with 38 points, while Jalen Williams had 26 points and Chet Holmgren had 22 in their 118-103 Game 2 win. SGA has averaged 29.8 points, 6.7 assists, and 5.6 rebounds in 13 games played in the Playoffs 2025 so far. SGA is now the second Canadian, after Steve Nash, to win the NBA MVP Award. Can Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves find a way to rally back into this series? Or will the MVP lead his OKC Thunder to their first NBA Finals since 2012? Let us know what you think in the comments section.
