Owning a growing list of accolades, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander may be forced to buy another trophy case. Odds are, his current one is filled up to the brim — ala SpongeBob’s closet when Patrick opened it up.
The reigning MVP was named a finalist for an NBA award. But not the one you’re thinking about. Or the second one that crossed your mind. We won’t know the nominees for MVP and Clutch Player of the Year until later on, but he will squarely be part of the field.
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In the meantime, Gilgeous-Alexander could bring home a different trophy — he was nominated for the 2025-26 NBA Sportsmanship Award. The annual honor recognizes the player who best represents the ideals of sportsmanship on the court. Current NBA players will select the winner from six finalists — one per division.
Gilgeous-Alexander is the Northwest’s representative. The other five are Harrison Barnes, Al Horford, Derrick White, Bam Adebayo and TJ McConnell.
The irony doesn’t go over my head that Gilgeous-Alexander is among the group despite what the social media noise suggests. Anytime the Oklahoma City Thunder are on national TV, you can expect your timeline to be filled with disingenuous posts about his free-throw numbers and foul-drawing talents.
But I digress. Cool to see Gilgeous-Alexander get nominated for another NBA award. He’s had quite the ascension to NBA superstardom. Now, his resume is resembling the all-time greats he idolized.
This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander nominated for this 2025-26 NBA award