Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been named the NBA's Most Valuable Player for the second straight year, according to ESPN's Shams Charania.
Gilgeous-Alexander, 27, has become the 14th player in league history to win back-to-back MVP awards after taking the 2026 prize. The Canadian guard has continued his standout form for reigning NBA champions Oklahoma City Thunder, who open the Western Conference finals against the San Antonio Spurs on Monday night.
Season numbers
Gilgeous-Alexander scored the second-most points per game in the league this season at 31.1, trailing only Los Angeles Lakers superstar Luka Doncic. He averaged the 42nd-most touches per game at 66.6, meaning he nearly scored one point for every two touches of the ball.
He finished the season shooting 55.3 percent from the floor, 38.6 percent on 3-pointers and 87.9 percent on free throws. Only Kevin Durant, in the 2022-23 season, has achieved those shooting percentages on more than 250 total shots in NBA history.
The other finalists
Gilgeous-Alexander was one of three finalists for the award, alongside Spurs center Victor Wembanyama and Denver's Nikola Jokic. Wembanyama would have been the first French player to win MVP, while Jokic was chasing a fourth award, a feat achieved only by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan, Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain and LeBron James.
An international streak
The win marks the eighth consecutive season in which a player born outside the United States has taken the trophy, and the 12th MVP award overall for an international player. Nigeria's Hakeem Olajuwon won in 1994, Canada's Steve Nash won in 2005 and 2006, and Germany's Dirk Nowitzki won in 2007.
The timing of the announcement echoed last year's reveal. In 2025, Gilgeous-Alexander was named the winner on May 21 and presented with the trophy before Game 2 of the West finals in Oklahoma City on May 22. This year's Sunday announcement comes a day before the Thunder host Game 1 of the West finals against the Spurs.
