Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the league’s reigning regular-season and Finals MVP, was voted the NBA’s Clutch Player of the Year, the league announced Tuesday.
The award, created in 2023 to honor late-game excellence, is Gilgeous-Alexander’s first in the category. He topped fellow finalists Anthony Edwards of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Jamal Murray of the Denver Nuggets.
How the voting worked
League coaches initially trimmed the field to 14 candidates. A panel of 100 reporters and broadcasters then selected the winner. Unlike most other league honors, the clutch award is not subject to the 65-game minimum, allowing Edwards—who missed that threshold for other trophies—to remain eligible.
Key numbers
- Gilgeous-Alexander led the NBA with 175 clutch points, ranked ninth with 21 clutch assists and helped the Thunder post a 20-7 record in his 27 clutch appearances. Oklahoma City outscored opponents by 93 points in those situations.
- Edwards shot 56.5% in clutch moments, the best mark among the 19 players who scored at least 85 clutch points.
- Murray finished second in clutch scoring with 166 points and led the league with 30 clutch assists.
“This award means a lot,” Gilgeous-Alexander said on NBC Sports. “To get this award, you have to help your team win games late, and what I’m about, more than anything, is winning games… I’m proud I get to hoist it. It means I’m effective out there.”
Award history
The Clutch Player of the Year honor pays tribute to Hall of Famer Jerry West, long nicknamed “Mr. Clutch.” Gilgeous-Alexander is the fourth recipient, following De’Aaron Fox (2023), Stephen Curry (2024) and Jalen Brunson (2025). Brunson was again among this season’s nominees.
Season awards calendar
The clutch announcement is the second major honor revealed this week. On Monday, San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama was unanimously named Defensive Player of the Year. The NBA will disclose the Sixth Man of the Year on Wednesday, the Sportsmanship Award on Thursday and Most Improved Player on Friday.
Source: ESPN
