Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is Sports Illustrated’s 2025 Sportsperson of the Year
When you win a championship as well as MVP accolades, you tend to garner plenty of attention and recognition in the sports realm. That’s exactly what life has been like for OKC’s star player and now he has yet another achievement to add to his growing legacy. The Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is Sports Illustrated’s 2025 Sportsperson of the Year.
Therefore, congratulations to SGA whose team has enjoyed one of the best starts in NBA history. While they have come back down to earth a tad with losses to Portland, Minnesota and San Antonio. The fact remains that Oklahoma City is built and constructed to win now and for the foreseeable future. And a huge component to all of OKC’s recent success is due to the talents of Shai.
Last season, SGA led the league in scoring (32.7 PPG) on incredible 51.9% shooting, making him a historically efficient high-volume scorer. He also spearheaded the youngest team in the NBA to become the #1 seed in the Western Conference. While also joining the legendary Michael Jordan as the only players with 30+ PPG on 50%+ shooting while also hitting significant rebound, assist, steal, and block thresholds. Additionally, Shai became the NBA’s MVP, scoring champion and Finals MVP, making him just the fourth player ever to complete that trifecta in one season. Truly amazing.
Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is Sports Illustrated’s 2025 Sportsperson of the Year
So then, Shai has several reasons to be acknowledged and discussed for his work on the court. Nevertheless, the journal Sports Illustrated, still took a moment to explain why they selected SGA to be their sportsperson of the year. They reveal,
“The reigning NBA MVP has found the perfect home in Oklahoma City, where he’s leading the Thunder to unprecedented heights, forging a bond with the community and showing that anything is possible in a place where hoops is the only game in town.
Gilgeous-Alexander … was cut from his high school’s version of a junior varsity team. It took him 15 games to permanently crack the starting lineup at Kentucky. Three guards were taken before him in the 2018 draft. In his first season with the Thunder, he was an off-the-ball complement to Chris Paul. Skepticism didn’t dissuade him. It motivated him.
With Shai, the emphasis early was on polishing weaknesses. Less dribbling. Fewer contested shots. Making the right reads. It wasn’t about the numbers but how he got them. Like the stars he patterned his play after, Gilgeous-Alexander thrives in pressure moments.
So how, exactly, does an MVP get better? It isn’t about any specific statistic, though Gilgeous-Alexander is sure he can improve some. Again, it’s the game within the game. Like finding ways to conserve energy.
At 27, Gilgeous-Alexander can absorb 35-plus minute burdens without sacrificing efficiency. But that won’t always be the case. Last summer he studied how Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant increased their post play later in their careers. How LeBron James improved as an off-the-ball cutter in his second go-round in Cleveland. How Jason Kidd transformed from an open floor blur to a 40% three-point shooter. “Your body forces you to do that,” says Gilgeous-Alexander. “You want sustained success over a career, you have to be better without the ball.”
The Future of SGA and His Motivation
Yes, SGA is hoping for a long career in basketball and so are basketball fans. The growing rivalry between the Thunder and the Spurs has been beyond thrilling to watch. A sign that the NBA can experience future excitement beyond LeBron, Curry and KD. But for now Shai is focused on honing his skills and becoming an even bigger threat in the NBA.
SGA mentions, “It’s not my job to put an NBA team together. You’d probably be better [at it] than I would. So for me, it was just making sure that I’m the best player for [this] basketball team. I was never someone who was like, ‘I’m doing this so I can win any championship,’ ” he says. “My motivation was to do this so that I get to the point where I’m the best version of myself every night.”
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