Giannis Antetokounmpo sends out cryptic tweet as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander wins NBA MVP
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was named the MVP on Wednesday night, as was widely expected.But that didn’t stop Giannis Antetokounmpo from possibly having a bit of fun when ESPN Shams Charania tweeted the news that the Oklahoma City star guard was named the league’s best player.“What??!!!! Did shams got hacked no way this is true??!!” Antetkounmpo, who finished third in the NBA voting, tweeted when hearing the news.
Nikola Jokić was second in the vote.It’s possible Antetokounmpo was joking, referring to the fact it was expected Gilgeous-Alexander would win the award compared to a few months ago when the NBA world was stunned when Charania was the first to report Luka Doncic was getting traded from the Mavericks to the Lakers to the Mavericks for Anthony Davis and other players in a three-team blockbuster deal.The case for Gilgeous-Alexander was simple.
He’s the best player on an Oklahoma City Thunder team that had the best record this season and set a league mark for margin of victory.If that wasn’t enough, he also won the scoring title.That’s an MVP year.Gilgeous-Alexander was announced Wednesday as the NBA’s Most Valuable Player, his first time winning the award.
It’s now seven straight years that a player born outside the U.S.won MVP, extending the longest such streak in league history.“You try so hard throughout the season to like not think about it and just worry about playing basketball and getting better and trying to win games,” Gilgeous-Alexander said on TNT, when the results were unveiled.
“But as a competitor and as a kid dreaming about the game, it’s always in the back of your mind.”It ultimately was a two-person race.Gilgeous-Alexander got 71 first-place votes and 29 second-place votes; Jokic got the other 29 first-place votes and the other 71 second-place votes.Antetokounmpo was third, getting 88 of the 100 possible third-place votes.Gilgeous-Alexander — the No.
11 pick in the 2018 draft — averaged 32.7 points, 6.4 as...