Sports Illustrated named Oklahoma City Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander its 2025 Sportsperson of the Year, handing the franchise a rare national crown after OKC’s title run.
The honor is SI’s signature annual award, and it places SGA in a modern lineage that recently included Simone Biles, Deion Sanders, Stephen Curry, and Tom Brady, signaling just how massive his moment has become.
Key details (fast)
- SI calls Gilgeous-Alexander the 72nd recipient of the award and the first Canadian to win outright since Wayne Gretzky (1982).
- SI credits SGA for leading OKC to a franchise-record 68 wins and guiding two Game 7 closeouts in the playoffs.
- The Sportsperson of the Year awards ceremony is set for Jan. 6, 2026 at Wynn Las Vegas, per a Sports Illustrated event announcement.
Sports Illustrated Makes It Official: SGA Gets the ‘Sportsperson’ Crown
The easiest way to understand how big this is: Sports Illustrated doesn’t hand this out like a weekly “Player of the Game.” This is the publication’s signature award, an annual stamp that’s historically gone to the kind of names that dominate an era.
In SI’s profile, Gilgeous-Alexander is framed as the face of Oklahoma City’s methodical climb from rebuild to the top of the league, on-court dominance plus a real bond with the community.
And SI isn’t subtle about the resume. The piece reminds readers that he’s the reigning NBA MVP, scoring champion, and Finals MVP, with Oklahoma City celebrating an NBA title.
What It Means for the Thunder (and Why the Spotlight Just Got Louder)
For Thunder fans, this is the kind of national validation that small-market contenders usually have to fight years to earn,if they ever get it. SI flat-out says Gilgeous-Alexander “etched” Oklahoma City onto “basketball’s most coveted trophy,” a nod to how quickly the franchise’s perception has changed.
But there’s a flipside, too: this honor turns OKC’s title defense into a headline every night. SI notes that through December the Thunder were 29-5, and that they went 18-1 before All-NBA guard Jalen Williams had even played a minute, context that screams “machine,” not “fluke.”
That’s where the pressure comes in. When a player wins this award, it’s not just about what happened last season; it’s an expectation that what’s coming next will matter even more.
Why SGA’s Game Has Been So Hard to Solve
SI’s story drops a few numbers that show why defenses look out of answers. It cites his efficiency splits as 51.9% in the paint, 50% from midrange, and 37.5% from three, while also pointing to his ability to create shots, passes, assists – and free throws – out of drives.
That’s the nightmare: he’s not beating teams one way. He’s beating teams every way.
The Context SI Is Really Putting on This: Past Winners Are Basically a Hall of Fame Roll Call
If anyone is wondering why Thunder fans are acting like this is a championship parade-level flex, here’s your reminder: SI’s recent Sportsperson winners include Simone Biles (2024), Deion Sanders (2023), Stephen Curry (2022), and Tom Brady (2021).
So, no, this isn’t just “nice recognition.” It’s SI placing Gilgeous-Alexander in a very specific lane: face-of-the-sport status.
And SI’s own event release makes clear the award’s history and prestige, noting previous winners like Biles, Curry, Brady, LeBron James, Serena Williams, Derek Jeter, Muhammad Ali, and more.
What happens next
The SI Sportsperson awards event is scheduled for Jan. 6 in Las Vegas, with additional honorees including Michael Phelps (Muhammad Ali Legacy Award), Cal Raleigh (Breakout Star), and Breanna Stewart & Napheesa Collier (Innovators).
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