The NBA MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, accepted a contract extension of $ 285 million over four years with Oklahoma City Thunder champion throughout the 2030-31 season, sources said on Tuesday.
It is now the richest annual salary for a player in the history of the league.
He now signed two contract extensions as a member of the Thunder, cementing the partnership and the confidence of both parties since his arrival in Oklahoma City in 2019.
Gilgeous-Alexander, who has an average of 32.7 points during the regular season and 30.3 in the NBA final, joined an exclusive list of players to win the MVP and the MVP of the finals during the same season. The only others to accomplish this 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, 26, also became the first player to win a score title and an NBA championship during the same season since O’Neal in 2000. The only ones who have done who are Jordan (six times), Abdul-Jabbar, George Mikan (twice) and Joe Fulks.
The only players other than Gilgeous-Aalexander to accomplish the triple Crown of Scoring Champion, MVP and NBA Champion in the same season are Jordan (four times), O’Neal and Abdul-Jabbar.
Gilgeous-Alexander was acquired after its recruit season as a centerpiece of the package that the Thunder received in the trade of Paul George with the Clippers in the summer of 2019, as well as a historic transport of first round choice, one of which has become the co-star of Oklahoma City Jalen Williams.
It was the regular face of the Oklahoma City franchise while the thunder stripped the list around it and has gone through a rapid reconstruction. The commitment and faith of Gilgeous-Alexander in the franchise never hesitated while the Thunder endured seasons of 22 and 24 victories before making two-digit jumps in each of the last three years, leading to this campaign of 68 victories and walking in the title.
The average season of the regular season of Gilgeous-Alexander during this championship season was the highest of all time by a player who won the title of the campaign, at the head of Jordan in 1992-93 by a tenth of point, according to ESPN Research. Its 3,172 points, including the regular season and the playoffs, were also the highest since Jordan this same season.
He scored 20 or more points in 72 consecutive games this season – the fourth longer sequence in a season in the history of the NBA – and its +918 more -minus was the best of an NBA season since Stephen Curry of the Warriors in 2016-17.
Tim MacMahon and Espn Research d’Espn contributed to this report.
