Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Calls MVP Season a ‘Failure' After Falling Short

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder entered the 2026 NBA postseason with championship aspirations, hoping to defend their title as the league’s reigning champion.

But with a Game 7 loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday night, those championship aspirations were put to rest.

Gilgeous-Alexander had an excellent individual season, winning his second consecutive league MVP trophy over Denver’s Nikola Jokic and San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama. However, the All-Star point guard is not satisfied following his team’s loss in the Western Conference Finals.

"It was a failure. I failed at my goal. I didn’t achieve what I wanted to achieve. But through those experiences, I learn the most about myself and make the greatest amount of increases in my career when I fail,” Gilgeous-Alexander said during his exit interview on Sunday.

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Gilgeous-Alexander put forth his best effort of the series in Game 7, recording 35 points and nine assists in the 111-103 loss. He averaged 27.6 points and 7.9 assists per game throughout the playoffs.

“I didn’t get to where I wanted to go this season, and there’s a reason for that,” Gilgeous-Alexander continued. “Now I have to look at that reason and try to make sure it never happens again.”

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The Spurs now advance to face off against the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals, which will begin on June 3.

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This story was originally published May 31, 2026 at 2:12 PM.