On May 21, 2025, U.S. Eastern Time, the NBA officially awarded OKC Thunder’s superstar, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the KIA NBA MVP for the 2024-2025 season.
But before he was torching NBA arenas, he was dropping buckets on a court surrounded by Filipinos.
Started From The Bottom Now We're Here
Shai’s love for basketball started at a young age. He’s originally from Ontario, Canada, where he played through some of his high school years. Later on, he transferred to the U.S. for better basketball exposure in his bid to chase his dream of playing in the NBA.
In college, he played for the University of Kentucky, one of the best-known NBA pipelines for producing talent. In his lone year with the school, he helped lead the team to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA tournament before declaring for the 2018 NBA draft.
On June 21, 2018, the Charlotte Hornets drafted Shai with the 11th overall pick. He was then traded to the LA Clippers on draft night. He impressed in his rookie season, averaging 10.8 points and making the All-Rookie Second Team.
Right after his rookie season, he was traded to the OKC Thunder as part of the Paul George blockbuster trade. OKC knew they were getting a good player in Shai, but no one could have ever predicted that they were getting their franchise centerpiece.
A Season To Remember
Spearheading his team to the first seed in a Western Conference that many people argue is the toughest it's ever been is just one of the many achievements Shai had in this incredible season. He also scored a career-high 54 points last January, topping his previous high of 45 points.
In a postgame interview after dropping his career high, Shai revealed that this isn’t the first instance where he scored 50 or more points.
The last time was during his teenage years, when he participated in a Filipino community basketball league back in his hometown, Hamilton, Canada.
This is Shai’s first MVP award. He averaged 32.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, 6.4 assists, and 1.72 steals, leading his team to an impressive 68-14 record in a tough Western Conference. He garnered 71 first-place votes out of 100 media member voters composed of journalists, broadcasters, and expert analysts who cover the NBA.
Shai’s Support System
In his emotional speech during the award ceremony, Shai showed love to his teammates.
“You guys are really like my brothers, and I really mean that, and without you guys, none of this would be possible,” he said.
With his wife, Hailey Summers, and his son, Aries, in attendance, Shai also showed love to them during his speech.
“You were the first person to show me what love really meant. What love really meant, what sacrifice really meant. I can't wait to spend the rest of this journey called life with you,” he expressed as tears filled up his eyes.
Championship Run
Today, in his pursuit of leading one of the youngest teams in NBA history to a championship, Shai and the OKC Thunder find themselves up 1-0 against the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Western Conference Finals — three wins away from reaching the NBA Finals.
