There are two types of NBA MVPs, at least with the benefit of historical hindsight. There are the guys, and there are the guys between the guys. Some MVPs get trophies. Some get eras.
The Players Who transcended The Award
There's a collective agreement among most basketball observers that players like Michael Jordan, LeBron James and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar probably should have more MVP trophies.
Each had an undisputed decade-long reign as the NBA's best player. Whether it was voter fatigue, down years, narratives or baseball sabbaticals, none of them were honored to the extent they probably should have been.
They frankly didn't need to be. Their legacies were bigger than a single, contextual award.
MVP As Peak Versus Table Stakes
The MVP award doesn't function the same way for all winners. For the Karl Malones, Derrick Roses and Bob McAdoos of the world, the award is a peak.
It is an acknowledgment of a moment in time in which they touched immortality, even if they didn't quite grab it.
When we talk about Steve Nash, the MVP awards are the first things that come up, and the second is the notion that Nash winning those trophies at the peak of Kobe Bryant's and Tim Duncan's powers is a bit of an oddity.
When we talk about Magic Johnson, the MVPs are a footnote. There's no need to define him by a trophy because it was simply understood that the NBA, for a time, belonged to him.
The Modern Era: Jokić And Wembanyama
Nikola Jokić straddles that line. In truth, we'll probably look back on the period between 2019 and 2025 as the parity era, but Jokić was, by near total consensus, its best player.
If Victor Wembanyama stays healthy, it feels as though the unquestioned dominion that Jordan and James once held over the league for sustained periods is suddenly back on the table.
At some point soon, Wembanyama is probably going to be the league's best player, and if he does the things we think he can once he's there, the next era of NBA history will almost certainly belong to him.
Where Gilgeous-Alexander Stands
Where does that leave Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the guy who just claimed his second consecutive trophy? Well, we don't quite know yet, but we may soon.
Just having the trophies puts Gilgeous-Alexander in incredible company.
The Consecutive MVP Club
He's now the 14th player to win consecutive MVPs, joining:
- Steve Nash
- Karl Malone
- Magic Johnson
- Michael Jordan
- LeBron James
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
- Tim Duncan
- Nikola Jokić
- Bill Russell
- Wilt Chamberlain
- Larry Bird
- Stephen Curry
- Giannis Antetokounmpo
Historic Statistical Achievements
The numbers that generated those trophies are just as impressive. Only Curry and Antetokounmpo have ever posted higher effective field goal percentages in 30-point-per-game seasons than Gilgeous-Alexander did.
Only Jordan ever won MVP at guard committing fewer turnovers per possession, and remember, he was a shooting guard while Gilgeous-Alexander is a point guard.
Only one player, Luka Dončić, scored more total points than Gilgeous-Alexander this season. But 39 players touched the ball more times than he did.
A Lasting Legacy
There is already a real legacy here. Gilgeous-Alexander is practically breaking efficiency scales, generating a mind-boggling number of points per touch and shot while surrendering none of those points back through turnovers or poor defense.
He is an absolute machine of consistency. He hasn't scored fewer than 20 points in a game for almost two full regular seasons.
There was a sense of disappointment when the Thunder didn't seriously pursue the all-time wins record this season, but that undersold just how historically dominant they've been.
Gilgeous-Alexander was the best player on a team that rewrote the record books.