Shai Gilgeous-Alexander wins NBA's Clutch Player of the Year award
Add CPOY to SGA's increasingly crowded trophy collection.
We already knew that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was valuable. Now he’s certified clutch. The NBA announced on Tuesday that Gilgeous-Alexander is the winner of the 2025-26 Clutch Player of the Year award.
The honor is the third major individual award for the Oklahoma City guard, who was named league MVP and Finals MVP last season while leading the Thunder to their first NBA championship. Gilgeous-Alexander is also a finalist alongside three-time MVP Nikola Jokić and newly crowned Defensive Player of the Year Victor Wembanyama for this season’s MVP. Gilgeous-Alexander was named CPOY over fellow finalists Jamal Murray and Anthony Edwards.
The award is the newest of the NBA’s seven major end-of-season offerings and comes with the Jerry West trophy. “To get this award, you have to help your team win games late,” Gilgeous-Alexander told NBC after winning the award. “That’s what I’m after most more than anything, is winning games.
“My teammates trust me. My coaches trust me to put the ball in my hands in those positions. I try my best to deliver night in and night out, and I did enough of it this year.