Ex-NBA Champion's Bold Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Statement After Finals

ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins speaks his mind about where the 2025 Finals MVP ranks amongst current players

Jun 22, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) lifts the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy as the Oklahoma City Thunder celebrate after winning game seven of the 2025 NBA Finals against the Indiana Pacers at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

The Oklahoma City Thunder had a run for the ages, defeating the Indiana Pacers in seven games to win their franchise's first NBA title. Led by the NBA's Most Valuable Player, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the Thunder employed one of the best defenses in league history, posting a defensive rating of 107.5 in the regular season.

SGA is just the FOURTH player in NBA history to accomplish this in the same season 🤯 pic.twitter.com/8mUheS7eTy
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) June 23, 2025

Gilgeous-Alexander led the NBA in scoring during the 2024-2025 season, averaging 32.7 points per game in 76 regular-season games, while maintaining a high efficiency, shooting 51.9% from the field and 89.8% from the free-throw line.

In a tight competition with Denver Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic, Gilgeous-Alexander claimed the 2025 NBA MVP award. During the playoffs, he elevated his game, ultimately earning the 2025 NBA Finals Most Valuable Player award after an outstanding postseason performance.

Former NBA champion and Pelicans center Kendrick Perkins appeared on "The Pat McAfee Show" to discuss Gilgeous-Alexander's ranking among the league's best players.

"[Shai Gilgeous-Alexander] is the best player in the league," Perkins said.

"For the run that he had just this season - the scoring title, the MVP, sitting at different tables...he brought the mid-range back to the NBA and proved that you can win championships by not just shooting up a bunch of three-point shots," he continued.

Perkins said that the newest Finals MVP has "taken over the throne" when talking about the league's best player.

"[Shai Gilgeous-Alexander] is the best player in the league."@KendrickPerkins questions what else SGA needs to do to be recognized as the best in the NBA 🤷‍♂️ pic.twitter.com/idbS6OB0Vt
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) June 23, 2025

Gilgeous-Alexander had the second-most total points in a season, including the playoffs, by a champion in NBA history, as well as the second-highest scoring average in a season by an NBA champion.

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