NBA Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Cries While Thanking Wife Hailey During His MVP Speech

• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the NBA's MVP

• The Oklahoma City Thunder star accepted the honor on Wednesday, May 21 in an emotional speech

• SGA thanked his wife Hailey Summers, and broke down while describing her impact on his life

SGA is MVP!

On Wednesday, May 21, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander accepted the NBA’s top individual honor — and got emotional when he thanked his wife Hailey.

“The one and only Hailey Summers,” he began and smiled widely, before he paused to gather himself and wipe his eyes. “Sorry I’m so dramatic.”

As Hailey looked on from the audience with their 1-year-old son Ares Alexander on her lap, the Oklahoma City Thunder star continued.

“Thank you for everything you are — for me, for our son, Ares,” Gilgeous-Alexander, 26, told his wife of one year. “You were the first person to show me what love really meant, what sacrifice really meant.”

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He continued, “And I can’t wait to spend the rest of this journey called life with you, so thank you for everything. I wouldn’t be the man I am, I wouldn’t be the player I am, I wouldn’t be the father I am without you, so thank you for that.”

The couple was married on Feb. 14, 2024.

Before his sweet acknowledgement, Gilgeous-Alexander noted that it was his long-held dream to achieve greatness in the NBA.

"I always thought that I could be a really good player because I had seen what putting your head down and working and controlling what you control can do for you," he said. "I made tremendous strides, but I never thought this was going to happen.”

"I dreamt about it as a kid, but as a kid, it's a fake dream. But as the days go on and you realize that you get closer to your dream, it's hard to not freak out. It's hard to not be a 6-year-old kid again. And I think that's what's allowed me to achieve it. I tried to just not focus on it and just worry about what's gotten to this place."

After his remarks, the 6’6” guard walked away from the podium and sat with his teammates, who comforted him as they laughed.

As a token of his appreciation, the Toronto native bought Rolexes for his teammates as a thank-you before the announcement, ESPN reported.

This season, Gilgeous-Alexander led the league with 32.7 points per game on 51.9% shooting, while averaging 6.4 assists, 5.0 rebounds, 1.7 steaks and 1.0 blocks. Last year, he finished second in the MVP voting, losing to the Denver Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic.

The newly crowned MVP next has his sights on Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals, where the Thunder hope to take a 2-0 lead against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday, May 22.

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