1 year ago
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NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has agreed to a four-year, $285 cardinal ace maximum declaration hold with the champion Oklahoma City Thunder done the 2030-31 season, sources told ESPN connected Tuesday.
This is present the richest yearly wage for a subordinate successful league history.
Gilgeous-Alexander, who averaged a league-high 32.7 points during the regular play and 30.3 successful the NBA Finals, joined an exclusive database of players to triumph the MVP and Finals MVP successful the aforesaid season. The lone others to execute that feat are Michael Jordan (four times), LeBron James (twice), Larry Bird (twice), Tim Duncan, Shaquille O'Neal, Hakeem Olajuwon, Magic Johnson, Moses Malone, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Willis Reed.
Gilgeous-Alexander besides became the archetypal subordinate to triumph a scoring rubric and NBA title successful the aforesaid play since O'Neal successful 2000. The lone others to person done that are Jordan (six times), Abdul-Jabbar, George Mikan (twice) and Joe Fulks.
The lone players different than Gilgeous-Alexander to execute the triple crown of scoring champion, MVP and NBA champion successful the aforesaid play are Jordan (four times), O'Neal and Abdul-Jabbar.
Gilgeous-Alexander was acquired aft his rookie play arsenic the centerpiece successful the bundle the Thunder received successful the Paul George commercialized with the LA Clippers successful the summertime of 2019, on with a historical haul of first-round picks, 1 of which became Oklahoma City co-star Jalen Williams.
He served arsenic the dependable look of Oklahoma City's franchise arsenic the Thunder stripped down the roster astir him and went done a accelerated rebuild. Gilgeous-Alexander's committedness and religion successful the franchise ne'er wavered arsenic the Thunder endured 22- and 24-win seasons earlier making double-digit triumph leaps successful each of the past 3 years, culminating with this 68-win run and march to the title.
Gilgeous-Alexander's regular-season scoring mean successful this title play was the highest ever by a subordinate who won the rubric that campaign, topping Jordan successful 1992-93 by one-tenth of a point, according to ESPN Research. His 3,172 points, including regular play and playoffs, were besides the astir since Jordan that aforesaid season.
He scored 20 oregon much constituent successful 72 consecutive games this play -- the fourth-longest streak wrong a play successful NBA past -- and his +918 plus-minus was the champion successful an NBA play since the Warriors' Stephen Curry successful 2016-17.
ESPN's Tim MacMahon and ESPN Research contributed to this report.
