Seeing my compatriot Shai Gilgeous-Alexander being introduced 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 Gilbert Alexander-Williams looked up to.
MVP acceptance speech
Wednesday evening was one of his sources of inspiration for basketball.
It means everything,” Nash, who was honored as the NBA Most Valuable Player in both 2005 and 2006, stated during a Thursday video call with a select number of journalists. “I don’t require recognition for this. Yet, nothing compares to seeing those players succeed and hearing they credit me with making a difference. It truly makes it all incredibly meaningful and significant. Honestly, I’m not sure there can be many greater praises than that.
Gilgeous-Alexander, who holds the title of NBA’s scoring champion, achieved this feat.
71 out of a possible 100 top 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 playoffs.
“With you, it’s always about putting the team 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 erupted in cheers and his fellow players surged forward once more for an additional round of applause.
He was the standout player on the top squad, a team that had an impressive 68-14 record during the regular season and broke an NBA record with their point differential.
This is an incredibly significant moment for me,” Nash stated. “Seeing his achievements truly fills me with immense excitement. He’s undoubtedly my go-to player to watch, and I sincerely wish him to keep up this remarkable performance. May he continue representing himself, his nation, and his squad as splendidly as he always does. He’s outstanding.
When Nash secured his MVP awards, Gilgeous-Alexander was merely a young child around 5 or 6 years old. However, he had been heralded for quite some time as Canada’s future superstar 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 basketball program. He guided Canada to a bronze medal at the 2023 World Cup, securing their spot in the 2024 Paris Olympics. It appears 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, among whom seven surpassed the 1,000-point mark: Gilgeous-Alexander, Jamal Murray, RJ Barrett, Shaedon Sharpe, Bennedict Mathurin, Andrew Wiggins, and Dillon Brooks. No nation apart from the United States boasted as many 1,000-point scorers.
He laid the groundwork,” Gilgeous-Alexander stated about Nash. “He was the initial Canadian basketball player I was aware of. Without witnessing players make it to the NBA from Canada, our dreams would not have been as big when we were young.
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AP NBA:
https://apnews.com/nba
Tim Reynolds, The Canadian Press
