Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's wife Hailey Summers gives emotional reaction as Thunder star crowned MVP after historic season

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has won his maiden NBA MVP after a stunning season leading the OKC Thunder to the Western Conference Finals.

The MVP race came down to the wire between Alexander and conference rival Nikola Jokic, who was sent home in the second round of the playoffs. The two were the only true contenders with a real shot at winning the award, and in the end, the Thunder guard managed to edge out the three-time NBA MVP.

Once the news broke that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had been named the MVP, his wife Hailey Summers posted a teary-eyed emotional reaction that perfectly sums up this moment:

Hailey Summers/IG

Shai’s win means the MVP has been won by an international player in each of the past seven years. He is also the third player in OKC’s history to earn an MVP, after Kevin Durant in 2014 and Russell Westbrook in 2017.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 32.7 points on 51.9% shooting with 6.4 assists, 5.0 rebounds, 1.7 steals and 1.0 blocks. Only Michael Jordan has matched those stats in a season during his 1988 and 1991 MVP years.

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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's sterile game didn’t live up to the billing, but huge win for OKC in Game 1 vs. Timberwolves

The OKC Thunder put themselves in control of their Western Conference Finals after beating the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 1. The top seed will host Game 2 on Friday, thanks to some brilliance from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

The game was an even and physical affair, with the Timberwolves pressuring their opponents early and defending well as they looked to steal home-court advantage.

Despite the barrage of pressure from both teams, it was Gilgeous-Alexander who was pulling the strings for the Thunder, using his shrewd drives to the paint and drawing key whistles.

There’s something internal within the Canadian guard, when he’s surrounded by multiple opposing players, he just shines. He finished with 31 points, including 25 in a dominant second half, shooting 8-of-14 from the field. He went 11-for-14 from the line and nearly matched Minnesota’s total paint attempts on his own, finishing 8-of-18 (44.4%) inside, compared to the Wolves’ 10-of-23 (43.5%).

Fans and analysts can say whatever they want about his foul-grifting. That won’t take away from the fact that Shai is one of the best players in the league, and this season showed just how valuable he is to the Thunder. Without him, they wouldn’t have gone as far as they have.