Gilgeous-Alexander is the first Wildcat to win the NBA MVP, and he can become the first Kentucky alum to win NBA Finals MVP. He’d also be the first NBA player to win both the NBA MVP and NBA Finals MVP since LeBron James in 2013.

Gilgeous-Alexander is the MVP partly because he had a stellar 2024-25 season. He was the league scoring champ, did so at high efficiency, ranked among the steals leaders and collected an enviable amount of blocked shots for a point guard. Those were his qualifications and they proved his impact at both ends of the floor.

Conventional wisdom took a while to catch up to reality, but the Oklahoma City Thunder destroying the Western Conference en route to the 2025 NBA Finals has finally forced folks to realize the truth — one of the greatest teams ever is four wins away from a championship.