The NBA has announced Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as the league MVP of this season. The Canadian guard has won the title twice in a row, making him only the 14th player to win the honors in consecutive seasons. The OKC Thunder are set to battle the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference finals.
SGA won the 2025 NBA MVP, and the Thunder won the championship. The team can repeat the feat, given the kind of domination they have shown in the postseason. As the 2026 Kia MVP prepares to face the 2026 Defensive Player of the Year, let’s look at 13 other players who have also won consecutive MVP honors, like SGA.
Who won back-to-back NBA MVP besides Shai Gilgeous-Alexander?
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has joined an elite list of players to win consecutive MVP honors in the league. The most obvious names featured are Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Tim Duncan, Steve Nash, Stephen Curry, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Nikola Jokic. These seven are a formidable lot who have constantly carried their teams on their backs, leading them from the front.
Besides Jordan, James, and Jokic, the remaining four have won the honor twice in their careers. However, the three Js have a total of 12 titles among them. The older lot of this list includes Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Moses Malone, Larry Bird, and Magic Johnson. The post below shows all 13 in the list with their winning seasons.
The 2026 MVP battle was close in the entire regular season, with Nikola Jokic, Victor Wembanyama, Cade Cunningham, and Luka Doncic presenting a solid case for the title. Even though Doncic and Cunningham fell out of the NBA awards run due to the 65-game eligibility rule, the NBA allowed them to participate in the awards, as their injuries were unfortunate. However, that couldn’t change the outcome for SGA.
Last season, SGA gifted his team new Rolex watches to add to their bling. Let’s see if the guard plans to repeat the celebration this season as well. For now, they will focus on defeating the Spurs for the final conference bout, as the task won’t be easy.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder set to face the Spurs
The most fitting opponents to the OKC Thunder’s undefeated run are finally face-to-face with the defending champions. The two top defenses in the Western Conference will not give up easily, setting the stage for a thrilling series.
While the Thunder’s helping squad, like Ajay Mitchell, Chet Holmgren, and Jared McCain, have really stepped up, taking the burden off the shoulders of the shifty guard, Stephon Castle, and Dylan Harper of the Spurs have been electrifying in the postseason. Moreover, nobody can deny what SGA and Wemby will bring to the floor in the upcoming series.
The Thunder will play to start something great in Oklahoma City, but the Spurs have waited long to come out of a struggling period. Only time will tell who prevails in the end!
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