After back-to-back MVP awards, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is on the precipice of making NBA history. Could he win the prestigious award for a third straight year? Only the top of the top can say they've done that in Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain and Larry Bird.
Gilgeous-Alexander was asked about the rare three-for-three feat at 2026-27 Media Day. According to him, he's playing it cool. The two-time MVP winner is more focused on helping the Oklahoma City Thunder get things rolling as they prepare to start the 2026-27 regular season.
"The decision for MVP is literally 82 games away. So I'm not going to win the award in the first week of the season," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "So it's hard for me to put so much into it and think about it. I've just
got to be the best player I can be for this basketball team. Win as many games as possible. And whenever those things lie, they will."
It took a while for conventional wisdom to catch up, but Gilgeous-Alexander is viewed as one of the era-defining NBA superstars of the 2020s. He's a perennial 30-point scorer and has led the Thunder to be the most dominant team over the past two years. Not bad for somebody who wasn't even the headliner when he initially landed in OKC.
"That kind of recipe for me in the past has kind of worked. I've been fortunate to win two in a row," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "But yeah, no different for me going into this season."
Even after their summer filled with cost-cutting moves, the Thunder remain in the thick of the title hunt. You can thank Gilgeous-Alexander for that. As long as he's on the roster, OKC will always be in the conversation. He's proven to be a walking 60-win machine by himself.
Gilgeous-Alexander doesn't need a third MVP award in a row to stamp his place in the all-time NBA mythos. But it would certainly help his case for being this generation's version of Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Stephen Curry.
This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander putting zero thought into winning 3rd MVP award
