Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

For every generationally-great, yet slightly-unproven NBA talent, there often arrives a postseason moment that allows them to both stamp their legacy through a big-time play, and silence remaining doubters at once. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s postseason past is littered with could-be contenders — and inevitable others in the future — but in present day, few stand out quite like his finish to Game Five of 2025’s West Semis. Having already taken steps towards “iconic status” in 2024-25, Gilgeous-Alexander uses a late-game pick-and-roll to spring into a few more, with the Denver Nuggets’ drop coverage inviting him to take a pull-up triple. Fearless in taking, ironically, one of the few shots that hadn’t accurately translated from regular-season to postseason, the presumptive Most Valuable Player buries a dagger, propelling the Oklahoma City Thunder’s lead to six in the final minute. Late-game, late-series pressure points are often the separator between great players and truly transcendent ones, and on May 13, 2025, Gilgeous-Alexander looked the part of the latter. Particularly brilliant in the second half, Gilgeous-Alexander moved within a game of the West Finals by finishing with 31 points on business-like efficiency overall (12-of-23) and from the foul stripe (six-of-six), alongside six rebounds, seven assists, and one 3-pointer.

MVP Year