Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Fails to Match LeBron James as Rare Championship Feat Remains Untouched

With a Game 7 loss to the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Finals, the Oklahoma City Thunder failed to repeat as NBA champions. With the loss, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander failed to join LeBron James and Michael Jordan in rarefied air.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Fails to Match LeBron James’ MVP Run

The Spurs took down the Thunder and will now face the New York Knicks in the 2026 NBA Finals. The loss means that Gilgeous-Alexander won’t repeat as Finals MVP, so he cannot sweep the MVP awards this season.

Throughout NBA history, only James and Jordan have swept the MVP awards and won the title in consecutive seasons. Gilgeous-Alexander had a chance to join them this season after earning his second-straight NBA MVP award, but now that dream is dead.

With SGA and the Thunder failing to repeat, LeBron remains the most recent player to achieve this feat 👑 pic.twitter.com/9J3nfSPw7q

— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) June 1, 2026

In 1991, Jordan led the Chicago Bulls to their first NBA championship, defeating the Los Angeles Lakers 4-1. In that series, Jordan averaged 31.2 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 11.4 assists on 55.8% shooting from the field.

The following season, the Bulls defeated the Portland Trail Blazers in six games. Jordan averaged 35.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 6.5 assists on 52.6% shooting. These were the first of six titles that the franchise won during the 1990s. Jordan was named NBA MVP and Finals MVP in both seasons.

MORE: ‘People’s Champion’ – LeBron James’ Agent Rich Paul Draws Bold Comparison Between Lakers Star, Muhammad Ali

James, as a member of the Miami Heat, won the first of his back-to-back titles in 2012, defeating the Thunder. The forward averaged 28.6 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 7.4 assists while shooting 47.2%.

He followed up that title with a victory over the Spurs while boasting averages of 25.3 points, 10.9 rebounds, and 7.0 assists. While most people remember this series for Ray Allen’s clutch shot, James filled the stat sheet for Miami.

Last year, Gilgeous-Alexander won Finals MVP after averaging 30.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 5.6 assists against the Indiana Pacers.

This year, the Thunder swept the Phoenix Suns and the Lakers in the first two rounds of the playoffs. Then, they encountered the Spurs. Gilgeous-Alexander led OKC with 27.3 points, 10.9 rebounds, and 3.1 assists. He scored 35 points in Game 7; however, it wasn’t enough, as San Antonio won 111-103.

While Gilgeous-Alexander wasn’t able to join James and Jordan in this exclusive club, he is still just Gilgeous-Alexander is just the 14th player to win consecutive NBA MVP awards. 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: