Stephen A. Smith Rains MVP Praise on Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander have continued their winning ways as of late, rolling out of the All-Star break with a huge win over one of their top contenders in the Western Conference, the Los Angeles Clippers, at home. Gilgeous-Alexander was once again electric in this one, consistently hitting Clippers defenders with an array of crossovers and hesitations that have made the Thunder guard one of the most exciting players to watch in the NBA this season.

All of the success that Gilgeous-Alexander and the Tuunder have had this year has led some to wonder whether or not the Canadian combo guard could potentially MVP candidate. One person who seems to think the answer to that question is a resounding yes is none other than sports media talking head Stephen A. Smith.

“Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a leading candidate for league MVP honors,” said Smith on ESPN’s First Take (via @homahoops on X, the social media platform formerly referred to as Twitter). “I’ve got Jayson Tatum at number one. I’ve got no problem with having Shai Gilgeous-Alexander number two. They’re 38-17. This brother is averaging 31 a game. He’s second in the league in scoring, and he’s the league leader in assists.”

While the last statement from Smith regarding Gilgeous-Alexander’s assists is nowhere close to being accurate, the point remains that the All-Star starter from this past weekend is having a year worthy of MVP consideration at the very least, helping turn around a Thunder team that was among the league’s cellar dwellers up until last year’s mini-revival.