Shai Gilgeous-Alexander just secured his second straight NBA MVP award. The Oklahoma City Thunder star edged out Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokić and San Antonio Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama in the 2025-26 MVP voting after another dominant regular season.
This latest piece of hardware does more than pad his trophy case. It plants him in some of the most exclusive territory in league history, sitting alongside names like Michael Jordan, LeBron James, and Larry Bird.
Back-to-Back NBA MVP Winners List: Where Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Fits In
Gilgeous-Alexander is just the 14th player to win consecutive MVPs. The Thunder star averaged 31.1 points, 6.6 assists, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game while shooting 55.3% from the field across 68 regular-season games.
Of the 13 players who achieved this feat before him, some have done it multiple times. Here’s the official list of consecutive NBA MVPs:
| Years | Player | Team(s) |
| 2021, 2022 | Nikola Jokić | Denver Nuggets |
| 2019, 2020 | Giannis Antetokounmpo | Milwaukee Bucks |
| 2015, 2016 | Stephen Curry | Golden State Warriors |
| 2012, 2013 | LeBron James | Miami Heat |
| 2009, 2010 | LeBron James | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| 2005, 2006 | Steve Nash | Phoenix Suns |
| 2002, 2003 | Tim Duncan | San Antonio Spurs |
| 1991, 1992 | Michael Jordan | Chicago Bulls |
| 1989, 1990 | Magic Johnson | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1984, 1985, 1986 | Larry Bird | Boston Celtics |
| 1982, 1983 | Moses Malone | Houston Rockets, Philadelphia 76ers |
| 1976, 1977 | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1971, 1972 | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | Milwaukee Bucks |
| 1966, 1967, 1968 | Wilt Chamberlain | Philadelphia 76ers |
| 1961, 1962, 1963 | Bill Russell | Boston Celtics |
Gilgeous-Alexander is Canada’s second back-to-back MVP after Steve Nash. The Thunder star averaged the second-most points per game of the 2025-26 season behind only Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Dončić.
Gilgeous-Alexander’s numbers were impressive, but it’s his efficiency that helped seal the deal, as he shot 55.3% from the field, 38.6% from three, and 87.9% at the free-throw line. The only other player to hit those splits on more than 250 total shots was Kevin Durant in 2022-23 (but Durant did it in 47 games, while SGA played 68).
Gilgeous-Alexander also led OKC to an NBA-best 64 wins. What makes Gilgeous-Alexander’s production even more impressive is that he put up those numbers without dominating the ball. He averaged just 66.6 touches per game, which ranked 42nd in the NBA.
This season’s NBA MVP race came down to the finalists Gilgeous-Alexander, Jokić, and Wembanyama. Cade Cunningham and Dončić also got some love throughout the year, but injuries ultimately held them back.
Jokić became the first player to lead the NBA in rebounds per game and assists per game. Wembanyama ultimately won Defensive Player of the Year, but he played limited minutes and that hurt his MVP case. Cunningham was a threat until a collapsed lung ended his push late in the year, while Doncic faded after suffering a significant hamstring strain in a blowout loss to OKC.
Last summer, Gilgeous-Alexander signed a four-year, $285 million super-max extension — shortly after winning his first NBA championship.
The Thunder open the Western Conference Finals on Monday against Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs.
