Shai Gilgeous-Alexander dreamt of this moment as a kid growing up in Canada.
On basketball’s biggest stage and with everything on the line in Game 7 of the NBA Finals, Gilgeous-Alexander did whatever it took to carry the Oklahoma City Thunder to their first NBA championship.
But as brilliant as he’s been as MVP, he knows he didn’t do it alone.
“It’s a win for everybody,” Gilgeous-Alexander said in the postgame press conference after the Thunder’s 103–91 title-clinching victory over the Indiana Pacers on Monday (PH time), June 23.
[ALSO READ: News Thunder overwhelm Pacers in Game 7 to win first-ever NBA championship]
“We prioritize winning; we don’t prioritize anything else in this game,” he added.
SGA turned in perhaps his most complete performance of the Finals, finishing with 29 points, five, rebounds, two blocks, and 12 assists — tied for the fifth most in a Game 7 in Finals history.
After a rocky Game 6 filled with turnovers, the 26-year-old star responded in the biggest game of his life with poise and purpose.
“These are the moments when the best players make their name,” he said. “And I want to have those titles attached to my name.”
After a grueling playoff run with two series that went a full seven, it was mission accomplished for the Thunder.
SGA himself had a dream season, capturing nearly every major individual honor — the scoring title, regular season MVP, Western Conference Finals MVP, and now Finals MVP. However, it was that one word, we, that stood out most.
[ALSO READ: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander named Finals MVP as Thunder win first NBA title in Game 7]
For all the numbers and accolades Gilgeous-Alexander collected, this championship, he said, belonged just as much to those around him.
“We found a way tonight,” he said. “I’m so proud of this group. It feels good to be a champion.”
Gilgeous-Alexander joined Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan and Shaquille O’Neal as the only players in NBA history to win the scoring title, league MVP and Finals MVP in the same season.
KAREEM. JORDAN. SHAQ. SGA. 🔥
— NBA (@NBA) June 23, 2025
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander caps off a HISTORIC run! https://t.co/sNwvvPfdAY
His 32.7 points per game during the regular season are now the highest ever by a player who went on to win the title — eclipsing even Jordan’s legendary 1993 run.
“It’s hard to believe that I’m part of that group,” Gilgeous-Alexander admitted. “It’s hard to fathom that I’m that type of basketball player at times.”
"It's hard to believe I'm part of that group, it's hard to even fathom that I'm that type of basketball player sometimes."
— NBA (@NBA) June 23, 2025
Shai is in some RARE company 💯 https://t.co/qqwR0vaPe4
But he is — and everyone around him knows it.
“At the end of the day, that’s gonna go down in history as one of the greatest seasons ever,” Thunder big man Chet Holmgren on SGA’s performance.
“He makes it a joy to be around. It’s never about him — it’s always about us and about winning. His talent shines through all of that. He’s a hell of a basketball player, but he’s an even better person,” he added.
"At the end of the day that is going to go down in history as one of the greatest seasons that's ever been had by a player."
— NBA (@NBA) June 23, 2025
Chet has big-time praise for SGA 🙌
The Thunder didn’t win on talent alone — they won with togetherness, defense and sacrifice.
“The most impressive part is the group that did it,” Gilgeous-Alexander emphasized.
He continued: “Our togetherness on and off the court made everything easier. All the achievements and accolades — they don’t even come close to the satisfaction of just winning with your brothers and wanting to see them succeed just as much as you want yourself to succeed.”
It was evident in how they played in Game 7 as the Thunder had 14 steals, eight blocks, and converted 23 Pacers turnovers into 32 points. Oklahoma City held Indiana to its lowest scoring output of the Finals and limited the Pacers to just 43 points in the second half.
Jalen Williams added 20 points, Holmgren set a new NBA Finals Game 7 record with five blocks and grabbed eight rebounds, while Alex Caruso and Cason Wallace combined for all 20 of the Thunder’s bench points.
“I have 15 brothers that I’ve experienced a once-in-a-lifetime moment with,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “I’ll never forget them, and they’ll never forget me.”
The rest of the world won’t forget either.
