NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Gets a Rain of Gifts

OKLAHOMA, FRIDAY — Christmas is still a long way off, but Santa Claus has already arrived in Oklahoma City. That figure is Oklahoma City Thunder star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. After handing out presents to his teammates, he gave a gift to the Oklahoma public.

The Shai version of Santa Claus arrived at the Thunder's home, Paycom Center, on Friday (23/5/2025) WIB. That day coincided with the presentation of the NBA Most Valuable Player trophy for the 2024-2025 season to him and the second game of the Western Conference Finals between the Thunder and the Minnesota Timberwolves.

On that special day, Shai also gave a special treat. He inspired the Thunder's 118-103 victory with 38 points and 8 assists. The guard who was criticized for relying too much on free throws proved himself by scoring 25 points from open play.

Thanks to that victory, the Thunder lead 2-0 over the Timberwolves. They only need two more wins to return to the NBA finals for the first time since the 2011-2012 season. "I am happy we won, so I can enjoy the good things that have happened over the last few," said Shai.

The MVP award means a lot to the 26-year-old. After a seven-season career, Shai finally won the individual award for the league's best player. He became the second Canadian to win the MVP after legendary guard Steve Nash 20 years ago.

Shai won decisively, receiving 71 votes for first place and 29 votes for second place from 100 voters, which included writers and sports broadcasters. He defeated the three-time MVP winner from the Denver Nuggets in the last four seasons, Nikola Jokic.

It is understandable that the players who previously appeared in Jakarta during the FIBA World Cup 2023 are quite emotional. Before the second match against the Timberwolves and the presentation of the MVP trophy, he had the opportunity to provide a gift basket worth nearly Rp 200 million for each Thunder player.

The basket contained luxury watches, the latest mobile phones, a speaker, and a goose down jacket from Canada. "(The gift) is nothing compared to what they have given. Without them, I would not have been able to receive the MVP," said the player who earns approximately Rp 560 billion per year.

It is nearly impossible to offer a similar gift to the entire state of Oklahoma. Therefore, Shai expressed his gratitude with a heroic performance in the second game. Meanwhile, the Oklahoma public has always remained loyal in supporting him since the player was "released" by the Los Angeles Clippers.

Despite coming in with greater motivation, Shai did not lose control at all. In fact, he appeared calmer compared to game one. In the previous match, he was too hasty and only managed to make two out of 13 shooting attempts during the first half.

Shai patiently waited for his opportunity in the second game. He only took action when three minutes remained in the first half. During that span, he immediately scored eight points, including a three-point shot that reversed the Thunder's lead. Shai concluded the half with 19 points (6-9).

After that, Shai became increasingly comfortable in the third quarter. He contributed 11 points to give the Thunder a 35-21 lead in that quarter. Shai also inspired a scoring run of 17-2 created by the hosts. The main source of the Timberwolves' defeat stemmed from that quarter.

Thunder Head Coach Mark Daigneault was impressed by the consistency of his players. "You never feel like he is going to lose his rhythm or make a mistake. He always shows great mental toughness and consistency in every possession," he stated.

Shai's playing style is relatively simple. He always targets one-on-one duels to create shooting opportunities near the basket or from mid-range. Opposing defenders are already aware of his intention to penetrate, yet it remains very difficult to stop him.

Shai possesses the ability to execute acceleration and deceleration of dribbling at the most opportune moments. He is also capable of initiating contact to draw fouls and earn free throws. Opposing teams seem to be presented with only two options: to let him pass or to foul him.

Shai is a player with the highest average number of free throws made during the regular season, at 7.9 per game. He continued this trend in the series against the Timberwolves. Shai has already received 29 free throw attempts, while all other Thunder players combined have only produced a total of 21 attempts.

That's what made the Timberwolves players very frustrated. Including defensive specialist forward Jaden McDaniels who successfully limited Los Angeles Lakers megastar Luka Doncic in the first half. McDaniels had intentionally pushed Shai at the end of the second game.

McDaniels and his teammates were frustrated that the opposing guard would overreact to every contact. Interestingly, the referees also responded to the contact. “I just wanted to foul him for something that was a real foul,” McDaniels said of the hard foul on Shai.

If that formula cannot be solved, Thunder is likely to advance to the final without significant obstacles. Shai also has the potential to end the season with his first championship ring. The last time an MVP winner was able to become a champion in the same season was Stephen Curry (2014-2015). (AP)