Seeing my compatriot Shai Gilgeous-Alexander being unveiled as
this season’s NBA MVP
left Steve Nash feeling extremely proud.
Then the instant became even more delightful.
Nash — who up until this week was the sole Canadian to have won the MVP award — was one of the players that Gilgeous-Alexander looked up to.
MVP acceptance speech
Wednesday evening was one of his inspirations for playing basketball.
It means everything,” Nash, who was named MVP in both 2005 and 2006, stated during a Thursday video call with a select number of journalists. “I don’t require recognition for this. However, nothing compares to the joy I feel when seeing those players succeed and hearing they believe I made a difference for them. This truly makes it all incredibly meaningful and significant. I’m not sure there are many praises more valuable than that.
Gilgeous-Alexander — who leads the NBA in scoring — has done so
71 out of a possible 100 first-place votes
To secure the accolade, which he was presented with by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver on Thursday evening right before he took the court with the Oklahoma City Thunder against the Minnesota Timberwolves for Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals.
“With you, the team has always come first,” Silver said to Gilgeous-Alexander as he presented him with the award at center court. “Yet, you guided this squad to the top record in the NBA and the highest number of victories in the franchise’s history. Well done.”
Gilgeous-Alexander subsequently lifted the Michael Jordan Trophy as the audience cheered loudly, with his fellow players joining in once more to offer their congratulations.
He stood out as the top performer on the superior squad, which recorded an impressive 68-14 during the regular season and broke the NBA record for points difference.
This is an incredibly significant moment for me,” Nash stated. “I genuinely become extremely enthusiastic about witnessing his achievements. Watching him play is truly one of my greatest pleasures, and I sincerely hope he keeps progressing along this path. It would be wonderful if he could keep accumulating outstanding seasons as he represents both himself and his nation with such distinction through his gameplay.
When Nash claimed his MVP honors, Gilgeous-Alexander was merely 5 or 6 years old. However, he had been heralded for a long time as Canada’s future star in basketball, and he has finally made good on that promise.
Similar to Nash, Gilgeous-Alexander is also a key player in Canada’s national squad. He guided Canada to a bronze medal at the 2023 World Cup, securing their spot in the 2024 Paris Olympics. It appears highly probable that the 2028 Los Angeles Games are also within his sights, considering he plays for the Thunder.
This season featured 25 Canadian-born athletes scoring in the NBA, with seven among them—Gilgeous-Alexander, Jamal Murray, RJ Barrett, Shaedon Sharpe, Bennedict Mathurin, Andrew Wiggins, and Dillon Brooks—who accumulated over 1,000 points each. This total surpasses every nation except for the United States when it comes to 1,000-point scorers.
He laid the groundwork,” Gilgeous-Alexander stated about Nash. “He was the first Canadian basketball player I was aware of. Without witnessing players make it to the NBA from Canada, our dreams wouldn’t have been as big when we were young.
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AP NBA:
https://apnews.com/nba
Tim Reynolds, The Canadian Press
