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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was a key player the Oklahoma City Thunder received when the organization traded Paul George to the Los Angeles Clippers before the 2019-20 season.
The Thunder weren’t very good to start the new era with Gilgeous-Alexander leading the way, but once the team saw Lu Dort, Jalen Williams and eventually Chet Holmgren play together and stay healthy together, it turned out to be a complete game-changer.
It culminated in the Thunder’s Game 7 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Sunday night. Gilgeous-Alexander, already the regular-season MVP and the Western Conference Finals MVP, scored 29 points and dished out 12 assists in the 103-91 victory.
With his clutch performance, Gilgeous-Alexander was given the Bill Russell MVP trophy recognizing him as the NBA Finals MVP. He had 38 points in a Game 1 loss and followed it up in Game 2 when Oklahoma City needed to tie the series. He scored 31 points in Game 5 to push Indiana to the brink.
He raised the trophy in front over an overjoyed crowd in Oklahoma City.
“This isn’t just a win for me. This is a win for my family. This is a win for my friends. This is a win for everybody that was in my corner growing up. This is a win for the fans – the best fans in the world,” he told ESPN’s Lisa Salters after receiving the Finals MVP.
The NBA Finals MVP puts a cap on a phenomenal season for Gilgeous-Alexander.
He led the NBA with 32.7 points per game on the way to winning the first NBA MVP of his career. It was the third straight season he was an All-Star.
Oklahoma City finished with a 68-14 record – the best in the NBA. It’s the first title since the team moved from Seattle to Oklahoma City. The SuperSonics won an NBA title in 1979.
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