OKC Thunder: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Finishes Second in 2023-24 MVP Race

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander just missed out on the 2023-24 NBA trophy, but still remains a heated postseason series.

Apr 29, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) / Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

On Wednesday evening, the NBA announced Nikola Jokic as its 2023-24 Most Valuable Player, with Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander coming in just behind in second place.

Jokic won the award for the third time in four seasons with 79 first place votes. Gilgeous-Alexander had just 15 first place votes.

Despite the close loss in the awards race, Thunder fans can take solace that Oklahoma City's young superstar took another leap this season.

Each year, as people question how he can get even better, he pulls it off. Gilgeous-
Alexander has gone from borderline All-Star to All-Star, to All-Star starter and now MVP Finalist
in each of the last three seasons. After finishing fifth in MVP voting a year ago, Gilgeous-
Alexander turned in an MVP finalist finish during the 2023-24 campaign locking up a top-three
finish.

The Kentucky product has brought the OKC Thunder to the youngest No. 1 seed of all time, in
the toughest conference we have ever seen, with a 57-25 record. En route to this
accomplishment - again helping the Thunder improve by over 15 games year-over-year,
Gilgeous-Alexander produced 30.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, 6.2 assists and 2.9 stocks per contest.

As he overhauled his game as a playmaker and defender - garnering Defensive Player of the
Year votes - the Thunder’s leader posted an MVP-level season with the storylines to back it up.
However, the Thunder’s superstar didn’t take home the hardware as the voters lobbed Nikola
Jokic his third career MVP after suffering buyer's remorse for last year’s MVP outcome.
Still, though, Gilgeous-Alexander was able to finish - in MVP voting, edging out Mavericks star
Luka Doncic and still putting himself in elite company as few ever become Most Valuable Player
Finalist.

The Thunder guard has Oklahoma City a sterling 5-0 in the postseason - including their first trip
to the second round since 2016 and just their second sweep in franchise history.

Up next, the second and third MVP vote-getters go head-to-head in Game 2 of their second-
round series inside the Paycom Center as the OKC Thunder try to stay perfect in the
postseason against the Dallas Mavericks at 8:30 on ESPN.

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