Wednesday, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander became the third member of the OKC Thunder to be crowned NBA MVP, taking home the award with a grand total of 913 points earned in the voting turnout.
Though perhaps an accomplishment that both friends and long-time foes saw coming for months now, receiving official word on the win is undoubtedly something that warrants celebration.
In response to the announcement, Gilgeous-Alexander received praise-filled messages from people near and dear to his heart. From former star teammates like Chris Paul to Hockey legends such as Wayne Gretzky, the 26-year-old was showered with love for his well-deserved accolade.
However, among all those who chimed in with complimentary takes of the superstar, no one seemed to praise him quite like how Hall of Fame point guard Steve Nash did, as he went as far as to brand SGA as "my favorite player" in his personal video addressed to the Thunder cornerstone.
Steven Nash calls Thunder star 'my favorite player' after winning MVP
A two-time MVP winner himself (2005 & 2006), Nash knows all about what it takes to win the illustrious honor. In his message to Gilgeous-Alexander, he would call his win in 2025 "very well deserved" and described him as "unbelievable."
By taking home the title, SGA now joins Nash as the only two Canadians to ever do so in NBA history.
After having a breakout campaign in 2023-24 -- one where many believe he was robbed of the Most Valuable Player moniker --, Gilgeous-Alexander surprisingly managed to get even better in his follow-up season.
Through 76 games played, the guard grouped himself into a stat line that only Michael Jordan has ever recorded, as they are the only two players in NBA history to average at least 32.0 points and 6.0 assists per game and shoot at least 50.0 percent from the field in a season.
He would also finish as the only qualifying player on the season to average at least 1.5 steals and 1.0 blocks per game.
Along the way, as a result of his elite level of two-way play, Gilgeous-Alexander spearheaded the charge for the Thunder to not only become the youngest team in league history to win back-to-back number one seeds but also to accumulate the fifth-most wins in a single season with 68.
Now, with two full rounds of postseason action already under their belt, Oklahoma City is just three wins away from advancing to their first NBA Finals since 2012, and seven wins from taking home the franchise's first Larry O'Brien Trophy since their Seattle Supersonics days back in 1979.
Without the elite play of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, none of this would have been possible.