Shai Gilgeous-Alexander repeats as NBA MVP, joins rare back-to-back club

The repeat placed Gilgeous-Alexander in the most exclusive tier of NBA history. He became the 18th player ever to win at least two MVPs and only the 14th to do it in consecutive seasons. Before him, just 12 players had produced those 14 back-to-back MVP runs, a list that includes Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Steve Nash, Tim Duncan, Moses Malone and Nikola Jokić. In a league built on constant turnover and rising star power, consecutive MVPs remain one of basketball’s scarcest honors.

This year’s vote only sharpened that sense of rarity. Jokić finished second, Victor Wembanyama third, Luka Dončić fourth and Cade Cunningham fifth, a top five that showed how crowded the league’s elite has become. Gilgeous-Alexander’s victory also extended a different streak: the NBA said he is Canadian, which means the league has now had eight straight MVPs born outside the United States.

The second MVP also reframed Oklahoma City’s rise. ESPN noted that in his first award-winning season, Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 32.7 points per game and led the Thunder to a franchise-record 68 wins. That season established him as more than a scoring champion. The repeat now puts him in a different category, one defined by sustained dominance rather than a single breakout year.