Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was the runaway winner in the Clutch Player of the Year award balloting, revealed Tuesday night.
Gilgeous-Alexander received 96 of 100 first-place votes in balloting for the Jerry West Trophy. He had 484 total points, well ahead of Denver Nuggets standout Jamal Murray (117) and Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards (116).
Gilgeous-Alexander is the reigning league MVP and is favored to win the award again this season.
But he liked receiving the Jerry West Trophy too.
“This award means a lot,” Gilgeous-Alexander said of the Clutch Player award. “To get this award, you have to help your team win games late and what I’m about more than anything is winning games.”
Gilgeous-Alexander led the NBA with 175 points that occurred in clutch time, defined as games that were within five points in the final five minutes of regulation or overtime.
He shot 60.9% from the field (39 of 64) during clutch time and made a league-best 16 go-ahead field goals.
Fourth-place Cade Cunningham (50 points) of the Detroit Pistons received one first-place vote, fifth-place Jalen Brunson (42 points) of the New York Knicks landed two and sixth-place Nikola Jokic (37 points) of Denver received one.
This was the fourth season in which the award was given out. De’Aaron Fox (then with the Sacramento Kings) won the 2023 award, followed by Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors in 2024 and Brunson last season. Fox now plays for the San Antonio Spurs.
West was known as “Mr. Clutch” during his stellar career (1960-74) with the Los Angeles Lakers due to his many late-game exploits. He died in 2024.
Jerry West Trophy
The Jerry West Trophy is awarded annually to the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP), named after Hall of Famer Jerry West, who was the first player to win the award in 1969—despite being on the losing team. West’s silhouette, captured in a classic dribbling pose, also serves as the iconic NBA logo. The trophy honors his legendary career, which included 14 All-Star selections and an NBA championship with the Los Angeles Lakers in 1972.
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado, and a member of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Founded in 1967 as the Denver Larks in the American Basketball Association (ABA), they were renamed the Nuggets in 1974 and joined the NBA in 1976 after the ABA-NBA merger. The team won its first NBA championship in 2023, led by star player Nikola Jokić, marking a historic milestone in the franchise’s history.
Minnesota Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves are a professional basketball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, that joined the NBA as an expansion franchise in 1989. Despite early struggles, the team gained prominence in the late 1990s and early 2000s, led by Hall of Fame forward Kevin Garnett, who took them to eight consecutive playoff appearances and the Western Conference Finals in 2004. The franchise remains known for its passionate fanbase and its ongoing pursuit of its first NBA championship.
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are a professional basketball team based in Detroit, Michigan, and are a member of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Originally founded in 1941 as the Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons, the team moved to Detroit in 1957 and later became famous for their “Bad Boys” era in the late 1980s, winning back-to-back NBA championships in 1989 and 1990. They have since won a third championship in 2004, cementing their legacy as a historic and resilient franchise in the league.
New York Knicks
The New York Knicks are a professional basketball team based in New York City, founded in 1946 as one of the original members of the Basketball Association of America (which later became the NBA). They have a rich history, winning two NBA championships in 1970 and 1973, and are known for their passionate fan base at Madison Square Garden. Despite periods of struggle, the Knicks remain an iconic franchise in American sports culture.
Sacramento Kings
The Sacramento Kings are a professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California, and are one of the oldest franchises in the NBA, originally founded in 1923 as the Rochester Seagrams. The team moved several times—from Rochester to Cincinnati, then to Kansas City-Omaha and Kansas City, before finally relocating to Sacramento in 1985. Known for their passionate fan base and a memorable early 2000s era, the Kings have a rich history that reflects the evolution of the league itself.
Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors are a professional basketball team based in San Francisco, California, originally founded in Philadelphia in 1946 as the Philadelphia Warriors. They moved to the San Francisco Bay Area in 1962, adopting the name “Golden State” in 1971. Known for their modern dynasty led by Stephen Curry, the team has won multiple NBA championships, including three in the 2010s and another in 2022.
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are a professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas, and are one of the most successful franchises in NBA history. Founded in 1967 as the Dallas Chaparrals of the ABA, they moved to San Antonio and joined the NBA in 1976. The Spurs are renowned for their five NBA championships (1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2014), a culture of teamwork built around stars like Tim Duncan, David Robinson, and coach Gregg Popovich.
