Stephen A. Smith leaves NBA fans in splits with his Shai Gilgeous-Alexander backing for MVP

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been a major contributor to the Oklahoma City Thunder’s success so far this season. The 25-year-old has already surpassed franchise legend Kevin Durant with his streak of 30-plus point games in a single season.

From last season’s 10th spot finish in the Western Conference, OKC looks like a completely different side this season, thanks to SGA’s stellar performance. Apart from his phenomenal consistency, OKC’s top seed has intensified MVP talk for the Canadian, and now even renowned analyst Stephen A. Smith has joined the bandwagon to assess his MVP chances.

Stephen A. Smith picks Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for MVP

With the regular season coming to an end, the 2024 MVP race is one of the hottest topics in the NBA. Stephen A. Smith, known for his hot takes, has given his verdict in favor of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Justifying his choice, Smith stated, “He’s the No.1 seed in the west as we speak. He’s played 71 of 74 games this year. He’s 3rd in the NBA averaging 30.3 behind Luka and Giannis only. He’s had an NBA-high 50 games of 30 or more points this season. He’s shooting a career high 53.9% from the field. 58% on 2PT shots. 36.5% from 3 point range. In 4 games against Denver, they’re 3-1, he’s averaging 26-5-5.”

Shai is averaging 30.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 6.3 assists per game this season, along with his exceptional shooting skills that Smith has already talked about. Apart from showcasing his talent, the 25-year-old Canadian has appeared in 71 games for the Thunder, missing only three games, which shows his incredible resilience. With his consistency and brilliance on the hardwood, the OKC guard has become the favorite choice for Shaquille O’Neal and now Stephen A. Smith seconds him.

While the phrase “to each his own” could be applicable everywhere, when it comes to such discussions, the NBA community is quick to react.

NBA fans react to Stephen A.’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander take

Stephen A. Smith’s opinion quickly circulated among the NBA enthusiasts in every corner of the social media platform X, formerly referred to as Twitter, and they did not hold back from sharing their views on the matter. While some fans disagreed with Stephen A., a few had the same take on the topic. Here’s what the fans said when NBACentral shared the post:

A fan commented, “Luka is the MVP stop this nonsense lol”

Another user wrote, “SGA has never been better than Luka a day in his life.” and further added after comparing Shai with Luka Doncic, “If SGA wins over Luka it will be bad for the game.”

Completely discarding Smith’s opinion a fan commented, “It’s between Giannis and Luka.”

Suggesting Smith’s opinions should not considered, another fan added, “We need to move past Steven A basketball opinions.”

“Saying SGA is mvp over Jokic and doncic is criminal. Big L from Stephen A,” wrote God’s will on the post.

Stating their favorite contender to be Doncic, for his marvelous of late contribution, a user commented, “The mvp should be Luka wouldn’t be mad at sga winning tho”

“Been said SGA MvP but the internet says im trippin.. We not giving Jokic another one this year,” wrote another NBA fan.

Extending support toward Smith, a fan wrote, “I agree with Stephen A. Shai is MY MVP”

Sharing the same opinion, another fan added, “Rare correct take from SAS.”

While someone wrote, “It’s hard to argue against that. The league needs a new fresh face to promote anyway”

With the regular season in its dying embers, SGA finds himself in the third spot in the MVP race behind Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic. With OKC’s form and SGA’s unflappable outings, Stephen A. Smith’s take just might turn into reality if the other NBA teams do them a favor by upsetting the Nuggets and Mavs in the final run to the play-offs.