Oklahoma City Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, a native of Hamilton, has been named one of the three finalists for the NBA’s Most Valuable Player award, the league announced recently. The 25-year-old guard is competing against Nikola Jokic from the Denver Nuggets and Luka Doncic from the Dallas Mavericks for this prestigious honor.

Gilgeous-Alexander, a two-time All-Star, has been showcasing an outstanding performance this season, averaging 30.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 6.2 assists. Notably, he has excelled on the defensive end, becoming an elite two-way player with impressive stats like two steals per game and 0.9 blocks per game.

Under his leadership, the Thunder has achieved 57 wins and secured the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference, marking their best record in a decade. This success has positioned them to face the New Orleans Pelicans in the first round of the NBA Playoffs, marking Gilgeous-Alexander’s debut in the post-season as the team’s primary option.

Aside from Gilgeous-Alexander’s nomination, other finalists for various end-of-season NBA awards were also announced during the Inside the NBA on TNT broadcast. The finalists include Malik Monk, Bobby Portis, and Naz Reid for Sixth Man of the Year; Chet Holmgren, Brandon Miller, and Victor Wembanyama for Rookie of the Year; Tyrese Maxey, Alperen Sengun, and Coby White for Most Improved Player; Bam Adebayo, Rudy Gobert, and Victor Wembanyama for Defensive Player of the Year; Stephen Curry, DeMar DeRozan, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for Clutch Player of the Year; and Mark Daigneault, Chris Finch, and Jamahl Mosley for Coach of the Year.

Stay tuned to witness the thrilling NBA Playoffs action on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+ as the pursuit of the league’s ultimate crown unfolds.