Gilgeous-Alexander: 'I hope I get' MVP
Oklahoma City Thunder star point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has his eyes set on the league's highest individual honor after finishing a dominant regular season.
"I hope I get it," the 25-year-old responded when asked about the NBA MVP award, according to Brandon Rahbar of Daily Thunder.
OKC became the youngest team to record 57 wins in a season and is the youngest squad to ever secure its conference's No. 1 seed.
After their victory, Thunder big man Chet Holmgren went on social media to campaign on Gilgeous-Alexander's behalf.
Rare skip W https://t.co/YY0r7lu1Vd
— chet holmgren (@ChetHolmgren) April 14, 2024
Gilgeous-Alexander made his second-consecutive All-Star Game this season and averaged 30.3 points, 6.2 assists, and 5.6 rebounds while shooting 53.6% from the field and 35.8% from three.
The 6-foot-6 guard was also one of the league's best defenders, leading the league with two steals per game.
Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault said Gilgeous-Alexander's two-way play should qualify him for the MVP trophy.
"There is not a night where I don't feel like we have the best player on the floor. We're a top-five defense, top-five offense. He's a two-end player that contributes to both of those things," Daigneault told reporters, according to ESPN's Tim MacMahon.
If Gilgeous-Alexander were to win the MVP trophy, he would become the sixth international in a row to capture the award and the first Canadian since Steve Nash won back-to-back trophies in 2005 and 2006.
The Thunder's opponent in the opening round of the playoffs has yet to be determined. Oklahoma City will take on the lowest seed remaining from the Western Conference play-in games.