As 2024 draws to a close and the new year approaches, basketball analysts and fans reflect on the outstanding performances of the year, finally revealing the candidates for the prestigious Golden Basketball Award.
Among a roster full of elite talent, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder emerged as a finalist, competing against league MVPs, NBA champions and Olympic gold medalists.
For more than a decade, ESPN senior reporter Kevin Pelton has been the voice behind the Golden Basketball Award, which celebrates players who made an indelible mark on the floor in the previous year. This year’s roster shines with stars, including Finals MVP Jaylen Brown, NBA Champion Jayson Tatum, and other notable figures such as Jalen Brunson, Steph Curry, LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Kevin Durant and Anthony Edwards.
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To be in the running for this prestigious award, players must show outstanding individual performances while pushing their teams forward, a standard that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander certainly met.
Earning a spot among the final four—along with Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luka Doncic, and Nikola Jokic—Gilgeous-Alexander’s accomplishments throughout the year speak for themselves. He stands out as perhaps the most complete candidate, having participated in the later stages of the NBA playoffs, the Olympics and the NBA Cup, along with his Canadian teammates Luguentz Dort and Dwight Powell, who is one of only three players which achieved this feat.
His impressive record ended in second place in the MVP voting, narrowly falling behind Nikola Jokic, who went on to win the award. However, some key games hurt his chances of winning the Golden Basketball Award this year, including the Thunder’s heartbreaking loss in the Western Conference semifinals to the Dallas Mavericks and the NBA Cup Finals against the Milwaukee Bucks—moments where the stakes cannot be made. became higher.
Currently, the Thunder are flying atop the Western Conference, boasting one of the strongest defenses in the league. With Shai Gilgeous-Alexander at the helm, he is a serious MVP contender in the coming year. As 2025 approaches, many consider him the favorite for the next Golden Basketball Award.
Now, as the Thunder prepare to take on the Minnesota Timberwolves on New Year’s Eve, the questions arise: Should they be concerned about their three-point shooting? Only time will tell as a battle of All-Star caliber talent looms on the horizon.