Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Becomes the Fifth Guard to Win Consecutive NBA Regular Season MVPs
In 2025, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander won the regular season MVP, Magic Johnson Western Conference Finals MVP, and Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP; now, he is one step closer to repeating that individual "three-peat" this season after capturing the 2026 NBA regular season MVP. Gilgeous-Alexander received 83 out of 100 first place votes and 939 total points from an international media panel, with three-time regular season MVP Nikola Jokic (2021, 2022, and 2024) finishing a distant second with 10 first place votes and 634 total points, and 2026 Defensive Player of the Year Victor Wembanyama rounding out the top three (five first place votes, 539 total points).
Gilgeous-Alexander joins Magic Johnson (1989-90), Michael Jordan (1991-92), Steve Nash (2005-06), and Stephen Curry (2015-16) as the only guards to win back to back NBA regular season MVPs. He is the 15th player in pro basketball history to win consecutive regular season MVPs, joining a list that includes (in addition to the guards listed above) Bill Russell (1961-63 NBA), Wilt Chamberlain (1966-68 NBA), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1971-72, 1976-77 NBA), Julius Erving (1974-76 ABA), Moses Malone (1982-83 NBA), Larry Bird (1984-86 NBA), Tim Duncan (2002-03 NBA), LeBron James (2009-10, 2012-13 NBA), Giannis Antetokounmpo (2019-20 NBA), and Nikola Jokic (2021-22).
I analyzed the 2026 regular season MVP race in my 2025-26 NBA Playoff Predictions article, concluding, "This is the fourth straight season that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has performed at an MVP level, and in the previous three seasons he finished fifth, second, and first in the balloting. He averaged at least 30.1 ppg and at least 5.5 apg while shooting at least .510 from the field in each of those four seasons. Gilgeous-Alexander combines the elite midrange shooting touch of George Gervin with the ability to slash to the hoop, draw fouls, and dish to open teammates. He is also an excellent defensive player. There is nothing negative to say about him, and no reason that he should not be selected as MVP--except for the inconvenient fact that Jokic is even more productive and efficient."
Two seasons ago, Jokic joined Wilt Chamberlain as the only players to rank in the top three in the league in scoring, rebounding, and assists in the same season while becoming the first center and third player overall to average a triple double for an entire season; this season, Jokic averaged 27.7 ppg (eighth in the league), 12.9 rpg (first in the league), and 10.7 apg (first in the league) with shooting splits of .569/.380/.831. Jokic has averaged at least 24.5 ppg, at least 10.8 rpg and at least 7.9 apg for six straight seasons while never shooting worse than .566 from the field; no player in pro basketball history has matched each of those thresholds for a six season span. It is difficult to rationally argue that any player in the league is more versatile and productive than Jokic, and it could be argued that he is as versatile and productive as any player in pro basketball history; the counterarguments would focus on defense (which--other than defensive rebounding--is not captured by the above statistics) and on the reality that the NBA currently (1) has diluted its talent by expanding to 30 teams and (2) is plagued by up to a third of the teams tanking, which results in distorted statistics for the teams that are not tanking (and, consequently, for the players on those teams).
Wembanyama averaged 25.0 ppg and 11.5 rpg (fourth in the league) while capturing his third straight shotblocking title (3.1 bpg). If he can stay healthy, he could rewrite the record book while transforming the view of a how a big man can or should play.
Gilgeous-Alexander's statistical profile is also remarkable. This season, he became the first guard to average at least 30 ppg while shooting at least .550 from the field; the closest Michael Jordan came to accomplishing this was when he posted five 30 ppg seasons during which he shot between .519 and .539 from the field, while George Gervin deserves an honorable mention for scoring 33.1 ppg on .528 field goal shooting en route to winning the 1980 scoring title. Gilgeous-Alexander, Chamberlain, and Jordan are the only players who averaged at least 30 ppg while shooting at least .500 from the field in four consecutive seasons. Gilgeous-Alexander broke Chamberlain's record for consecutive regular season games with at least 20 points (126), pushing the mark to 140 (and counting).
Gilgeous-Alexander, Jokic, and Wembanyama share at least one quality: they each genuinely seem to care more about team success than about individual numbers and accolades. Other players in the league would do well to aspire not so much to match the trio's gaudy statistics but rather the selfless way that they play.
Labels: Denver Nuggets, Nikola Jokic, Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Victor Wembanyama
posted by David Friedman @ 3:22 PM
8 Comments:
How come no mention of the controversy over whether SGA is a flopper / foul merchant?
Regardless of your stance on it (which I'm not sure I've seen), this seems to be a real controversy that many have acknowledged and analyzed:
https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/the-real-problem-with-shai-gilgeous-alexanders-foul-baiting-is-that-it-works/ , https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2KFIAbhV6U&t=18s , https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwE9Ox4dwFY&list=LL , https://www.reddit.com/r/billsimmons/comments/1ru1a3m/sga_is_an_all_time_great_player_and_an_all_time/ .
You often employ "the eye test" in lieu of analytics; what does your "eye test" say on this topic?
-- Joe
Anonymous/Joe:
Most great scorers are adept at drawing fouls. There is a difference between drawing fouls by creating contact through a natural shooting motion, and flailing around unnaturally to bait officials into calling fouls.
I would say that GIlgeous-Alexander is a skillful scorer who is adept at drawing fouls. I don't recall hearing many complaints about alleged flopping by him until the Thunder became a championship contender, but his FTA/g peaked in 2022-23 at 10.9 per game; he has been at 9 or less in each of the past three seasons.
Did you know that Gilgeous-Alexander has never led the NBA in free throws attempted or free throws attempted per game? He has led the NBA in free throws made for the past four seasons, mainly because he shot at least .874 from the free throw line in each of those seasons.
I have written extensively about James Harden, who has led the NBA in free throw attempts seven times primarily by flopping and flailing around: https://20secondtimeout.blogspot.com/2021/10/playing-basketball-is-much-harder-for.html
Thanks for your response. I'm very familiar with the statistical arguments, which are addressed in one of my cited videos (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwE9Ox4dwFY).
I'm a little surprised to see you relying on statistics, when (as mentioned in my earlier message) you often employ "the eye test" in lieu of analytics.
There are many other compilations of Shai flopping (for example, https://twitter.com/Hero_OfThe_Day/status/2056885338044338183).
Nonetheless, I presume that your "eye test" finds that Shai is unlike Harden in flopping/flailing. I respectfully strongly disagree based on compilations that I have watched and cited; and I believe many other people concur with me as to the "eye test" (for example in the pieces I've cited).
However, I will respect your contrary opinion, without arguing it further, presuming I've correctly understood your position.
Thanks again,
Joe
Anonymous/Joe:
I consistently use both the eye test and statistics, but I use both methods intelligently and not selectively.
As I mentioned, most great scorers are adept at drawing fouls. I don't see evidence--visual or otherwise--that Gilgeous-Alexander is benefiting from flopping to the extent that his critics contend. Can one find clips of Gilgeous-Alexander flopping? I'm sure that one can. Finding clips of him flopping does not prove that this is a major reason for his success, or that he does so more often than other players. I wish that NBA games were officiated such that flopping was never rewarded.
I think that Gilgeous-Alexander's critics focus too much on him and not enough on the larger problem. He is not flopping more often than Harden or Luka or Trae Young or even LeBron, whose exaggerated movements and falls are ridiculous considering how big, strong, and athletic he is.
If your initial question had been about my take on flopping in general or my take on Harden--by far the worst flopper, as shown by the eye test and the numbers--then I would be more inclined to believe that your primary concern is flopping, but by focusing so much of your attention on Gilgeous-Alexander you make it clear that you have an argument in search of evidence as opposed to evidence gathered to make whatever case the evidence proves.
So much of the discourse around Shai is due to him being a late bloomer and threatening the all-time status of players people thought were unattainable for him, with 2 MVPs, a scoring title, and a championship + finals MVP he’s already in rare air and could be in even more rare air with a 2nd title and finals mvp. He’s also only 27, Wemby has out of this world potential but there’s no guarantee he’ll just take over and prevent SGA from adding more to his resume
Occasionally he will do something egregious but it’s not any different from Wade’s masterful use of the pump fake in his time and it’s not as egregious as what we saw out of prime Harden and Embiid
SGA himself pointed out that it wasn’t until he started winning and threatening the status of other players when the criticism grew
Kevin P:
You nailed it.
Harden and Embiid are unwatchable at times with their flopping and flailing antics, and it is not at all surprising that they repeatedly come up short during the playoffs when such antics are not tolerated as much.
Gilgeous-Alexander is already a better and more accomplished player than Harden and Embiid, and he appears to be on pace to add to those accomplishments. Wade got a more favorable whistle than Gilgeous-Alexander--Wade had six straight seasons during which he averaged at least 9 FTA/game, while SGA only has two such seasons so far--but nothing like what Harden and Embiid have long been permitted to do not only in terms of drawing fouls but also in terms of traveling.
I’ve just been browsing social media, my first mistake, and so many people are completely convinced that the referees are rigging these games for the Thunder. I was at game four when the Thunder swept the Lakers and after every play when a Laker player was called for a foul, they would replay it on the big screens and what followed was a collective 19,000 person hissy fit. Apparently, the Lakers didn’t commit a single foul in the game and the league is rigging games for the small market Thunder as opposed to the Dallas Cowboys/New York Yankees of basketball. A lot of people can’t accept that the Thunder are better than their favorite team so they cope by blaming the officiating.
Michael:
NBA conspiracy theories would be hilarious if they weren't so pathetic. I can't keep straight which way the NBA is supposedly rigging the playoffs: is it for LeBron and the Lakers (well, I guess we can rule that one out) or for the big city New York Knicks or for the small city Oklahoma City Thunder?
For decades, the conspiracy theorists declared that the NBA wants big city teams to win to boost ratings, so the notion that the NBA suddenly decided that it prefers to have a dynasty in the making in Oklahoma City is an interesting take, to put it mildly.
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