NBA Expert Claims Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is Michael Jordan of Modern Era

Zach Lowe argues OKC star should win back-to-back MVP awards over Victor Wembanyama

Apr. 1, 2026 at 2:27am

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NBA analyst Zach Lowe believes Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander should be named the NBA's Most Valuable Player this season, going as far as to compare him to Michael Jordan in the modern era of basketball. Lowe cited Gilgeous-Alexander's impressive stats, clutch performance, and ability to elevate his team as key reasons why he deserves the award over Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama.

Why it matters

The MVP race has been a major talking point in the NBA this season, with Gilgeous-Alexander and Wembanyama emerging as the top contenders. Lowe's bold comparison of Gilgeous-Alexander to Michael Jordan adds significant weight to the OKC star's case and could sway voters if his arguments gain traction.

The details

In a recent episode of his podcast, Lowe laid out his reasoning for why Gilgeous-Alexander should win the MVP award. He highlighted Gilgeous-Alexander's impressive stat line, including playing 400 more minutes than Wembanyama, as well as his ability to elevate the Thunder to an elite level even when sitting out fourth quarters due to blowout wins. Lowe also praised Gilgeous-Alexander's clutch performance and said his offensive dominance is "Jordan-esque in the modern era."

  • The 2025-26 NBA season is currently underway.

The players

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

The star point guard of the Oklahoma City Thunder, who is considered a top contender for the NBA's Most Valuable Player award this season.

Victor Wembanyama

The highly touted rookie for the San Antonio Spurs, who is also in the running for the MVP award alongside Gilgeous-Alexander.

Zach Lowe

A prominent NBA analyst and host of The Zach Lowe Show, who has made a strong case for Gilgeous-Alexander to win the MVP award.

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What they’re saying

“I think Shai is the MVP. I don't even care if the Spurs pass the Thunder... I think Shai, first of all—again, boring—he's played 400 more minutes than Wembanyama. That's a lot of minutes, and he's doing that without playing fourth quarters in like 20 games because they're ahead by so many. They both elevate their teams—Wembanyama's on-off is from neutral to incredible, Shai's on-off is from pretty good to incredible. The incredible part matters more to me than where the off-court number is. It's like, are you elevating your team to, 'Holy sh**, this is a machine'? That's Shai.”

— Zach Lowe, NBA Analyst

“Clutch numbers are outrageous, and this is Jordan, but in the modern era. That's how good he is offensively, and I just think you put all that together, he's the MVP for me.”

— Zach Lowe, NBA Analyst

What’s next

The NBA will announce the winner of the 2025-26 MVP award in the coming weeks, with Gilgeous-Alexander and Wembanyama widely expected to be the top two finalists.

The takeaway

Zach Lowe's strong endorsement of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as the NBA's MVP over Victor Wembanyama highlights the OKC star's elite two-way play and ability to elevate his team to new heights. If Gilgeous-Alexander can win the award, it would cement his status as one of the league's premier players and potentially usher in a new era of superstardom.