It'll Take Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's Best Year Yet To Win A Third MVP

With Gilgeous-Alexander dominating the league for so long, he'll have to turn it up a notch to get everyone's attention.

May 28, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) warms up before the start of game six of the western conference finals for the 2026 NBA playoffs at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Thunder’s best player might just have to reach an even higher level. 

Oklahoma City is currently home to the reigning two-time Most Valuable Player and best player in the world, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The star guard has countless accolades beyond his back-to-back MVP awards, including four All-NBA First Team selections, four All-Star selections, a scoring title, and, of course, a championship and Finals MVP. 

While Gilgeous-Alexander is continuously getting better and perfecting his craft, he might need his best performance yet to claim his next great accolade and join a select few to do so. 

There have only been three players in NBA history to win three Most Valuable Player Awards in a row, and Gilgeous-Alexander currently has the opportunity to join those ranks. The only thing that the superstar has to worry about is people being used to how good he is. 

While there is no concrete evidence that it exists, there seems to be an issue of voter fatigue when it comes to people voting for the MVP. It’s been seen multiple times throughout the years that when a player has been dominating the league, the voters will choose a newer player with less flattering statistics to bring in a new face. Unfortunately for Gilgeous-Alexander in this case, he has been running the league for some time, but there’s no doubt that he could still bring home that award one more time. 

For the reigning MVP to do it, though, he can’t regress at all. This past season, Gilgeous-Alexander’s points per game and rebounds per game dropped slightly from his first NBA season, and although the numbers were no doubt MVP-worthy, he has no room to drop off once again. The superstar’s averages might even have to increase to his best yet, just to show that he has more in the tank, and it isn’t just his regular play. 

Other accolades throughout the season could boost his chances to take home the award, including OKC having the best record in the league or even Gilgeous-Alexander claiming his second scoring title. Either of these accolades would ensure hype in the star guard’s play and make the media turn their head once again. 

It isn’t a question of whether Gilgeous-Alexander has the capabilities to be the best player in the league once again, but it’s the issue of him having to be better. He’ll have to not only show the world his abilities once again if he wants his third consecutive MVP, but he’ll have to be so good that no one can look away.