Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Doesn’t Mince Words After Winning NBA Championship originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Oklahoma City Thunder had the best record in the NBA during the regular season. They went 68-14 and were first in net rating.
The Thunder beat the Memphis Grizzlies, Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference playoffs to advance to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2012.
In the NBA Finals, OKC beat the Indiana Pacers in seven games. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who won the scoring title and MVP this season, was named the Finals MVP.
Gilgeous-Alexander is the 11th player in NBA history to win MVP and Finals MVP in the same season, joining Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Larry Bird, Tim Duncan, Shaquille O’Neal, Hakeem Olajuwon, Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Moses Malone and Willis Reed.
The Thunder had their championship parade Tuesday. One day later, Gilgeous-Alexander took to Instagram and didn’t mince words.
Shai on IG. ✊ pic.twitter.com/szQj1sTFg4
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) June 25, 2025
Gilgeous-Alexander is now a three-time All-Star, a one-time scoring champion, a one-time NBA champion and a one-time Finals MVP.
He already has a Hall of Fame résumé at 26.
The Thunder acquired Gilgeous-Alexander from the Los Angeles Clippers in the blockbuster Paul George trade back in 2019. OKC got the better end of that trade since the Clippers never made the NBA Finals with George.
Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 27.4 points and 5.5 assists in a Thunder uniform. This year could be the start of a legendary NBA career.
“The thing about Shai is he’s a secure player, and he’s a secure person,” Thunder GM Sam Presti told ESPN. “Because of that, I think it allows him to see things for what they can be and not just what they are.”
Gilgeous-Alexander is the first player to win a scoring title and NBA championship in the same season since O’Neal did it back in 2000.
The only others to have done that are Jordan, Abdul-Jabbar, George Mikan and Joe Fulks.
Related: Alex Caruso Has Strong Words For Shai Gilgeous-Alexander After Thunder’s Title Win
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 25, 2025, where it first appeared.