Thunder's Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Delivering Exceptional Season Performance – Yet to Reach Peak Form
Unleashing History: Can Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Triumph Where Giants Failed?
Remember the name Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. If he continues his remarkable run, he'll go down in NBA history as one of the game's greats. Think back to 2000, when Shaquille O'Neal achieved a rare feat, winning the scoring title, regular season MVP, and Finals MVP, all in the same season. Michael Jordan and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar are the only other players to join this trifecta. Fast forward to 2025, and Gilgeous-Alexander is posed to make history, too.
The Oklahoma City Thunder find themselves on the brink of their first NBA title since the franchise moved from Seattle. Game 3 of the Finals is set for 8:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday in Indianapolis. And it's not just the Thunder's future at stake; it's Gilgeous-Alexander's place among the NBA's all-time greats.
Gilgeous-Alexander, a 26-year-old phenom, is playing with the poise and confidence of a seasoned veteran. His smooth, yet unpredictable style has left defenses guessing and gasping all season long. In the first two games of these NBA Finals, Gilgeous-Alexander has scored 72 points, an eye-popping record for a player in their first two career Finals games. He's already surpassed 30 points in every game and is averaging over 30 points per game in the postseason.
"I'm just being myself," Gilgeous-Alexander modestly stated after Game 2. "I haven't tried to reinvent the wheel or step up to the plate with a different mindset. I've just been trying to attack the game the right way, and I think I've done a pretty good job of that so far."
But it's not just his scoring that's turning heads. Gilgeous-Alexander is also making his mark on the defensive end. With seven steals already in the series, he's one of just four players in Finals history to post back-to-back games with 30-plus points and three or more steals, alongside Rick Barry, Dwyane Wade, and LeBron James.
"He just continues to progress and improve and rise to every occasion," Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault said. "It's no surprise at this point. It's just what he does."
This isn't just a hot streak for Gilgeous-Alexander. His entire season has been a masterclass. He is now the 12th player in NBA history to score more than 3,000 points across the regular season and playoffs, joining the likes of Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain, and Kobe Bryant.
"Shai, you can mark down 34 points before they even get on the plane for the next game," Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said after Game 2. "The guy's going to score. We've got to find ways to make it as tough as possible on him."
The numbers tell a story of a historic run, but they also highlight something rare in today's NBA: a point guard as the undisputed engine of a Finals team. In the past 35 years, only Steph Curry has clearly held that mantle while winning a championship. Wings and bigs have typically dominated this stage.
And let's not forget: Gilgeous-Alexander is only 26. The Thunder have the youngest core in the NBA, with 24-year-old Jalen Williams and 23-year-old Chet Holmgren. They've arrived earlier than expected, and Gilgeous-Alexander is the steady heartbeat driving it all.
If he completes the journey and delivers a championship to Oklahoma City, it won't just be the crowning achievement of a breakout year. It will be one of the greatest individual seasons in NBA history. But the road to history doesn't end there. Gilgeous-Alexander has a shot at joining the ranks of O'Neal, Jordan, and Abdul-Jabbar as the only players to pull off the scoring title, regular season MVP, and Finals MVP trifecta in the same season. In the words of Gilgeous-Alexander himself, "We've got to take it one game at a time."
nba basketball is the stage where Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is making history. He is poised to join the exclusive club of players who have won the scoring title, regular season MVP, and Finals MVP in the same season, following in the footsteps of Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Shaquille O'Neal.
