OKC Thunder's Finals MVP SGA Joins Jordan, Shaq, Kareem In Elite List As Only Players To Ever...

Last Updated:June 23, 2025, 10:37 IST

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led OKC Thunder to their first NBA Championship, earning the Finals MVP, Regular Season MVP, and Scoring Champion titles all in the same season.

OKC's Shai Gilegeous-Alexander was the fulcrum of the title-winning squad throughout the season (AFP)

He was first named the Most Valuable Player. Then, he also became the Scoring Champion. Now, he is the Finals’ MVP for the OKC Thunder.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander achieved one of the rarest trifectas of feats in NBA history this season.

Albeit an off-shooting night, SGA put up 29 points, 12 assists, and 5 rebounds, 2 blocks, along with 2 blocks and a steal to pull OKC Thunder through to the promised land, and deliver their first-ever NBA Championship in a 103-91 Game 7 win over the Indiana Pacers.

The Canadian, who has emerged as the new face of the league currently, led the way for the Thunder in their first NBA Finals since 2012, averaging a stellar 30.3 points, 5.6 assists, and 4.6 rebounds.

And when all was said and done, there was no doubt in anyone’s mind who was going to be crowned the Finals MVP.

With his win, Shai entered the pantheon of greats: tagging with the likes of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan, and Shaquille O’Neal, to become only the fourth player ever to win all three prestigious awards in the same season.

1. Shaquille O’Neal:

1999–2000 Regular Season MVP

Scoring Title: 29.7 PPG

NBA Finals MVP

Shaquille O’Neal had the most dominant season of his career in 1999–2000. Leading the league in scoring with 29.7 points per game, he also averaged 13.6 rebounds and 3.0 blocks. He was a force on both ends of the court, earning him the MVP in a near-unanimous vote. In the Finals, he steamrolled the Indiana Pacers, averaging 38 points and 16.7 rebounds per game, securing the NBA Finals MVP and delivering the first championship for the Lakers since 1988.

2. Michael Jordan: (Did it 4 Times)

1995–96 Season Regular Season MVP

Scoring Title: 30.4 PPG

NBA Finals MVP

After returning from retirement in full form, Michael Jordan led the 1995–96 Chicago Bulls to a then-record 72–10 regular-season record. He captured his 8th scoring title, won the Regular Season MVP, and capped it off with a Finals MVP performance against the Seattle SuperSonics. Jordan averaged 27.3 points in the Finals, guiding the Bulls to their fourth NBA title.

3. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

1970-71 Regular Season MVP

Scoring Title: 31.7 PPG

NBA Finals MVP

In the 1970–71 NBA season, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (then Lew Alcindor) led the Milwaukee Bucks to their first championship with sheer dominance. Averaging 31.7 points and 16.0 rebounds per game, he won the Regular Season MVP and the scoring title.

In the playoffs, Kareem elevated his game further, culminating in a Finals performance where he averaged 27 points and 18.5 rebounds per game against the Baltimore Bullets. At just 23, Kareem established himself as the league’s premier force and delivered a title in only his second season.

Siddarth Sriram

After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas. His long-term...Read More

After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas. His long-term...

Read More

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