Shai Gilgeous-Alexander enters the 2026/27 season chasing basketball history, looking to become just the seventh player since 2000 to win three consecutive MVP awards.
## A Historic Back-to-Back Run
Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 31.1 points and 6.6 assists per game last season, leading Oklahoma City to a franchise-best 64-18 record and claiming his second consecutive MVP award, joining an exclusive club of just 16 players in league history to win multiple MVPs. Our full MVP race breakdown covers exactly who could challenge him for a third straight trophy.
## Remarkable Consistency
Over his last two MVP seasons combined, Gilgeous-Alexander has posted 92 games with 30 or more points, 21 games with 40 or more, and five games with 50 or more, a level of sustained scoring output matched historically only by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar across back-to-back MVP campaigns.
## Why Oklahoma City Remains Favored
Beyond individual numbers, Gilgeous-Alexander’s efficiency and two-way impact have anchored a Thunder roster that posted the league’s best regular-season record last year. Our championship favorites breakdown explains why Oklahoma City enters this season as one of the clearest title contenders in either conference.
## The Competition This Season
Nikola Jokić and Victor Wembanyama, both MVP finalists behind Gilgeous-Alexander last season, remain his most obvious challengers. A crowded Eastern Conference, featuring superteam experiments in Philadelphia and Miami, could also shift some national attention away from Oklahoma City’s continued dominance.
## What Would Cement a Third Trophy
Voters have historically rewarded sustained team success alongside individual efficiency, meaning another 60-plus win season for Oklahoma City would go a long way toward supporting Gilgeous-Alexander’s case for a truly historic third consecutive award.
## The Bottom Line
Betting against Gilgeous-Alexander has rarely paid off over the past two seasons. As he chases a level of sustained MVP dominance matched by only a handful of legends in league history, this season looks like another compelling chapter in an already remarkable career arc.