SGA = NBA MVP

SGA = NBA MVP: Three Letters That Just Made Kentucky History

Three letters. That’s all it took to etch a new chapter into Kentucky Men’s Basketball lore.
SGA = NBA MVP.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the former Kentucky Wildcat with the unshakable calm and ever-evolving game, is officially the 2025 NBA Most Valuable Player  and in doing so, he becomes the first player in Kentucky basketball history to win the league’s top individual honor.

This isn’t just a win for Oklahoma City. It’s a celebration for Lexington, Big Blue Nation, and anyone who ever believed in a wiry freshman guard who came off the bench behind Quade Green  and turned himself into one of the greatest players on the planet.

From Lexington to Legend

SGA’s journey wasn’t built on hype. He wasn’t a McDonald’s All-American or a projected one-and-done superstar. But what he did have? Vision. Grit. And an unmatched work ethic.

In his lone season at Kentucky (2017–18), he grew into the team’s heartbeat, averaging 14.4 points, 5.1 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game. His clutch play in the SEC Tournament and NCAA Tournament put the nation on notice. Still, few could have predicted the meteoric rise that would follow.

Now, in 2025, Gilgeous-Alexander has taken the NBA by storm, leading the league in scoring, posting 72 straight 20-point games, and finishing with averages of 32.7 points, 6.4 assists, 5.0 rebounds and 1.7 steals across 76 games. He also led the NBA in:

• 20-point games: 75
• 30-point games: 49
• 40-point games: 13
• 50-point games: 4

MVP Numbers, MVP Moments

Gilgeous-Alexander hasn’t just put up numbers  he’s carried the Oklahoma City Thunder to the Western Conference Finals, dominating Game 1 against Minnesota with 31 points, 9 assists, 5 rebounds and 3 steals in a 114–88 blowout.

And his postseason run? Nothing short of brilliant:

• 27.8 PPG in a sweep over Memphis
• 29.7 PPG in a gritty seven-game battle vs. Denver
• Now just seven wins away from an NBA title

The Richest Wildcat in History?

With this MVP honor, SGA is now eligible for a four-year, $294 million supermax extension  which would make him the highest-paid player in NBA history in terms of annual salary at $73.3 million per year.

That’s a long way from coming off the bench as a Kentucky freshman.

Big Blue History

Shai’s MVP isn’t just personal it’s monumental. Kentucky has produced dozens of NBA stars, from Anthony Davis to Devin Booker, Jamal Murray to Karl-Anthony Towns. But none had brought home the MVP trophy… until now.

This is legacy-defining.

This is history-making.

This is SGA.

And somehow, he’s still just getting started.