OKLAHOMA CITY -- After winning his first scoring title and leading the Oklahoma City Thunder to a league-high 68 wins, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has earned his first NBA MVP award, it was announced Wednesday.
The league officially announced the honor Wednesday night, a few nights after Gilgeous-Alexander's Thunder defeated Nikola Jokic's Denver Nuggets in Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinals.
Gilgeous-Alexander finished as the runner-up in last season's MVP voting, when Jokic won his third MVP in four seasons.
The Thunder recognized the honor with a news conference at the team's practice facility, where Gilgeous-Alexander was flanked by his Oklahoma City teammates, who wore Rolex watches he bought as a token of his appreciation.