After winning 2025-26 Clutch Player of the Year, Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander seemed ice-cold, just like whenever he knocks down a game-winning pull-up jumper.
“To get this award, you have to help your teams win late,” he told NBA on NBC, while barely smiling. “That’s what I’m after more than anything.”
For a player who just won a notable award, one would think Gilgeous-Alexander would be more elated. Perhaps he was just relaxed. The guard had every reason to be. He faced little competition for the award.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander won Clutch Player of the Year in a landslide
Per NBA Communications, Gilgeous-Alexander won 96 of 100 first-place votes. Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray finished second (33 second-place votes), while Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards came in third (32 second-place votes). (Edwards is still eligible for this award, even though he didn’t meet the 65-game minimum for other honors.)