Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has won the 2025-26 Kia NBA Clutch Player of the Year award, the league announced on Tuesday. He received 96 of 100 first-place votes from a global media panel. Gilgeous-Alexander led the NBA in clutch points despite appearing in fewer clutch situations than most peers.
The NBA awarded the Jerry West Trophy to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, marking the fourth straight year with a different winner following De'Aaron Fox in 2023, Stephen Curry in 2024, and Jalen Brunson in 2025. Gilgeous-Alexander topped the league with 175 clutch points, achieved in just 27 clutch games for the defending champion Thunder, who frequently pulled ahead early. Jamal Murray ranked second in clutch scoring but played 38 such games, while Anthony Edwards managed 135 points in 24 games. Gilgeous-Alexander appeared in only 42 fourth quarters across 68 regular-season games, underscoring Oklahoma City's dominance with a 20-7 clutch record under his play. In those minutes, he shot 51.5% from the floor, dished 21 assists, grabbed 16 rebounds, and added four steals and two blocks, helping the Thunder outscore opponents by 93 points overall—a league-high clutch plus-minus exceeding 80. He remains a finalist for MVP alongside Nikola Jokić and Victor Wembanyama, an honor he claimed last year.
