“Doesn’t Feel Real”: Finals MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Gets Emotional, Lauds Chet Holmgren’s Defensive Effort After Championship Win

The Oklahoma City Thunder are officially the 2025 NBA Champions, closing out the Finals with a 103–91 win over the Indiana Pacers in Game 7. Leading the charge was Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who capped off a sensational season with 29 points and 12 assists in the title-clinching victory. Unsurprisingly, the Canadian superstar was also awarded the Finals MVP for his performances throughout these last seven games.

However, Shai’s brilliance has been year-round. It could be argued that this was the best overall season by a player since LeBron James’ 2013 run with the Miami Heat. In addition to the NBA title and Finals MVP, Shai also won the scoring title, league MVP, and Conference Finals MVP. And when the final buzzer sounded, he was understandably overcome with emotion.

In an interview, Gilgeous-Alexander stated that the moment didn’t even feel real. He praised the team’s collective mindset and effort, especially in the second half of Game 7. The Thunder outscored the Pacers 34–20 in the third quarter, flipping the game on its head. According to Shai, it was about doing whatever it took to win.

Perhaps the biggest highlight of his postgame moment came when he gave Chet Holmgren his flowers. He said, “He impacts the game at a high level every night. Tonight was no different. He was everywhere, blocking shots, rotating, switching on guards. He’s amazing.”

“So many hours, so many moments, so many emotions.”

SGA and the OKC Thunder are your 2025 NBA Champions ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/MB3pFppxaq

— ESPN (@espn) June 23, 2025

Holmgren finished with 18 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 blocks, anchoring the defense and protecting the rim in a high-pressure elimination game. Shai also spoke about Chet’s future, saying he’s only going to get better. With averages of 15.2 points and 9 rebounds per game, the ceiling for the 23-year-old is sky-high.

As for his personal journey, SGA said that this win is a result of countless hours of work that he has put in over the years. Overwhelmed after realizing his lifelong dream, he said, “Doesn’t feel real. So many hours, so many moments, so many emotions, so many nights of disbelief, so many nights of belief. It’s crazy to know that we’re all here. But this group worked for it, this group put in the hours, and we deserve this.”

While the final scorecard shows it was a one-sided game, the reality was very different. At halftime, the Pacers had a one-point lead over the OKC. Despite losing Tyrese Haliburton to a possible Achilles tear in the first quarter, the Pacers managed to stay in the game. But the third quarter took everything away from them as the Thunder finished it with a 13-point lead. The Pacers couldn’t come back, and Oklahoma City ended up winning by 12.