Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Tabbed NBA Clutch Player of the Year
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who starred for Kentucky men’s basketball in 2017-18, added to his NBA accolades on Tuesday night as the Oklahoma City Thunder guard was awarded NBA Clutch Player of the Year.
Two Wildcats were among the three finalists for the honor, as Gilgeous-Alexander was joined by Jamal Murray on the final list of contenders for the award. Anthony Edwards of the Minnesota Timberwolves was the third finalist.
This season, Gilgeous-Alexander led the league with 175 points in the clutch, defined as the final five minutes of either the fourth quarter or overtime when the score is within five points. He helped the Thunder finish the regular season with an NBA-best record of 64-18, while ranking second in the league in scoring with an average of 31.1 points per game. The 6-foot-6 guard also averaged 6.6 assists and 4.3 rebounds on the year and shot 55.3 percent from the floor and 38.6 percent from 3-point range.
Now in his eighth NBA season, Gilgeous-Alexander is a four-time All-Star and became the first Kentucky Wildcat to be named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player when he earned the award last season. That same year, Gilgeous-Alexander was also selected as the NBA Finals MVP after leading the Thunder to the team’s first NBA Championship.
Since the Clutch Player of the Year was first awarded in 2023, UK men’s basketball products have won the honor in two of the four seasons it has been given. De’Aaron Fox took home the inaugural award back in 2023 while playing for the Sacramento Kings.
In Lexington for the 2017-18 season, Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 14.4 points and 5.1 assists per game. He was named the MVP of the Southeastern Conference Tournament, helping the Wildcats to the title with a win over Tennessee in the championship game. That year, Gilgeous-Alexander was an All-SEC Second Team selection and an All-SEC Freshman Team honoree.
Kentucky’s NBA players have racked up numerous honors over the years and have won at least one major award every year since 2021. A complete list of Wildcats awards in the NBA:
Most Valuable Player
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2025)
Rookie of the Year
Karl-Anthony Towns (2016)
Most Improved Player
Tyrese Maxey (2024)
Julius Randle (2021)
Sixth Man of the Year
Tyler Herro (2022)
Clutch Player of the Year
De’Aaron Fox (2023)
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2026)
Coach of the Year
Dwane Casey (2018)
Pat Riley (1990, 1993, 1997)
Executive of the Year
Pat Riley (2011)
Social Justice Champion
Karl-Anthony Towns (2024)
Sportsmanship Award
Tyrese Maxey (2024)
Community Assist Award
Devin Booker (2021)
John Wall (2016)
Offseason Community Assist Award
DeMarcus Cousins (2017)
Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award
Dan Issel (1985)
All-Star Game MVP
Anthony Davis (2017)
Adrian Smith (1966)
For the latest on the Kentucky men’s basketball team, follow @KentuckyMBB on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, and on the web at UKathletics.com.
