Shams Charania Names Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as Best Player in NBA

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had a historic NBA season this past year.

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) dribbles the ball against the Indiana Pacers during the first half of game seven of the 2025 NBA Finals at Paycom Center.

Image Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Senior Insider Shams Charania thinks Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous Alexander is the best player in the NBA right now. On NBA on ESPN, a panel consisting of Charania, Ramona Shelburne, and others discussed top contenders for the ‘best player’. While the others favored Nikola Jokic as the top contender, the ESPN insider made a case for the OKC Thunder superstar, and heaped praise on his achievements.

Shams Charania said, “I think Shai Alexander, how do you not give him more love? The year that he just had MVP, Western Conference Finals, uh MVP, NBA Finals MVP, his own shoe, NBA 2. I mean, there’s a lot of things you can put in there to say why he might be the best player right now in the world.”

Notably, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had a historic NBA season this past year. Apart from leading the side to their first championship after relocating to Paycom Center, Gilgeous-Alexander added multiple feathers to his cap. He became the second Canadian player to win the NBA’s Most Valuable Player in the 2024-25 season. The 27-year-old was also named the winner of the 2025 NBA Finals MVP. With this he became the 11th player to win both the regular-season MVP Award and the Finals MVP Award.

Moreover, SGA was also named the Western Conference Finals MVP, and won the Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson Trophy.

A Look at Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s Stellar On-and-Off Court Season

Apart from winning all the major trophies, including his first NBA championship, the three-time NBA All-Star averaged a league-best 32.7 points on 51.9% shooting. He shot 37.5% from three-point range. SGA became the second player in NBA history to average at least 30 points on 50% shooting. It also marked his third-straight season averaging 30-plus points on 50% shooting. He is only the fifth player in the league to accomplish the feat.

During the regular season, he recorded 20+ points in 72 straight games, recording the second-longest streak. This is not it! Apart from leading the league in scoring, he displayed enough dominance on defense and earned a second-place Defensive Player of the Year. During the postseason, he joined the likes of Micahel Jordan, LeBron James, and Jalen Brunson as the only players in history to record ten 30-point, five-assist games in a single postseason.

These are just a few mentions which clearly prove that despite such a young age, the Canadian has made his place in the list of all-time greats. Off-court, the star athlete also announced his debut signature shoe with Converse- “Converse SHAI 001”. The shoe was unveiled during the All-Star weekend in February, and was released in September 2025.

Garima Ranawat

Garima is a sports writer with around two years of experience in Indian sports and a newfound interest in the NBA. Inspired by the leadership of cricketing legend MS Dhoni, she wishes to bring in newer perspectives to the NBA fanatics with her writing.

Shams Charania Names Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as Best Player in NBA

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