It seems that it is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s world, and we’re just living in it. The OKC Thunder point guard had one of the greatest individual seasons the NBA has ever seen. He also helped his team to the ultimate prize in the game, winning the Finals in seven games over the Indiana Pacers.
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It was hard to imagine anyone stopping Nikola Jokic from winning his fourth MVP award after the Nuggets star finished top three in points, rebounds, and assists per game last season. But SGA earned it by being the best player on the best team in the league.
OKC went 68-14 in the year, powered by SGA’s league-leading 32.7 points per game. And shortly after the Finals ended, they rewarded him with a record-breaking four-year, $285 million contract extension. SGA appeared last night on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon to give the former SNL alum a lesson on tunnel fits and to look back on the incredible season he had.
Fallon introduced him in style by saying, “You were the regular season MVP, congratulations. You won the NBA scoring title, averaged 32.7 points per game. The Thunder won an NBA championship. And you were named the NBA Finals MVP, becoming just the fourth person in history to win the regular season MVP, scoring title, and Finals MVP in the same season.”
“The only other three that were on that list were Michael Jordan, Shaquille O’Neal, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar,” Fallon added before slamming down his notecard to emphasize the accomplishment.
“Wow, what a list,” SGA replied with a smile.
It really is, because any time you can be mentioned alongside three of the 10 best players of all-time, it means you did something special. Incredibly, Jordan achieved the feat four times, the only one to do it more than once. The Bulls legend also made First Team All-Defense each of those years, as well.
“Do you think about, do you think about any of this stuff when you were coming up, when you were growing up? Did you go, oh, this is all possible,” Fallon inquired.
“No, not at all. And it’s crazy, like, when you’re in the moment and you’re competing and you’re playing, like, you don’t realize what you’re doing until… Someone like me tells you and lists them out. Yeah, it’s crazy. It’s an amazing feeling. But it goes to show, like, when you work hard, put your head down, and take it one step at a time, you can get anywhere you want to go,” SGA replied.
Shai has already accomplished so much, but the Thunder and he might only be getting started. He won the title shortly before his 27th birthday, whereas Jordan didn’t win the big one until he was 28.
After signing his extension and seeing his teammates Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams also re-up, SGA and the Thunder are once again the favorites next year. Some analysts even predict that they have a shot to go on a dynastic run.
Jordan’s Bulls won six titles in eight years. That number could have been higher if he hadn’t decided to temporarily retire to go play baseball.
Today’s salary cap rules will make it incredibly difficult for the Thunder to get anywhere near that level of sustained success. But with their young stars locked up and a treasure trove of draft picks and talented young role players on bargain contracts, the Thunder are well-positioned to give it a run as any team in recent history.
This was SGA’s first appearance on The Tonight Show. But there’s good reason to believe that it won’t be his last.
