Shai Gilgeous-Alexander wins NBA Most Valuable Player award

Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander won the NBA MVP award after leading the league in scoring with 32.7 points per game.

When Shai Gilgeous-Alexander entered the NBA seven years ago, it took the then-20-year-old point guard from Canada only 10 games to own a starting job.

Earning his driver's license took a bit longer.

While he was practicing on a learner's permit during his rookie season, Gilgeous-Alexander relied on teammates or Uber to get around Los Angeles, where the Clippers had drafted him 11th overall and practiced 14 miles from their downtown arena.

There was much ahead of him to navigate. Traded unexpectedly to Oklahoma City after his rookie season, he landed with a rebuilding Thunder franchise that would win just 46 games from 2020 to 2022. Yet this season, Gilgeous-Alexander has arrived among the game's greats.

On Wednesday, Gilgeous was named the NBA's Most Valuable Player after he produced league-leading averages in points (32.7), free-throw attempts (7.9) and shot attempts (21.8) while leading Oklahoma City to a franchise-record 68 victories and the top seed in the Western Conference for the second consecutive season. The award is voted on by media members.