The last time an American-born player walked away with the top honor was James Harden in 2018. The run of international players winning MVP -- Gilgeous-Alexander is from Canada -- speaks to the expanding global reach of the NBA and the increased talent outside of the United States.

After NBA commissioner Adam Silver handed over the trophy, Gilgeous-Alexander dropped 38 points along with eight assists in Game 2 to keep home court with a 118-103 win over the Wolves in Oklahoma City. Thunder coach Mark Daigneault couldn't help but take in the moment as smile, watching his point guard's rise to stardom.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander got the better of Nikola Jokic as the OKC Thunder blew out the Denver Nuggets in Game 7 of their second-round series.