Indiana Pacers’ star Tyrese Haliburton made it clear who deserved the MVP this NBA season.

© William PurnellTyrese Haliburton #0 of the Indiana Pacers brings the ball up court during the second quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder

The Indiana Pacers faced off against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday afternoon, suffering a 132-111 defeat behind yet another stellar performance from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

After the game, Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton shared his thoughts on the NBA MVP race and made it clear who he believes deserves the award.

Following the loss, Haliburton didn’t hesitate to throw his support behind Gilgeous-Alexander, stating that the Thunder star should win MVP, “no question.” And not Nikola Jokic who also had an unreal season.

“I grew up in an era where the best player on the best team wins MVP every time.

I think our era is kind of getting away from that a little bit, which is fine because I think Jokic and those guys are warranted when they win,” Haliburton said, per Joel Lorenzo of The Oklahoman on X, formerly Twitter.

“But I think if you take away them having the best record, he would still be the MVP. And then you throw on the fact that they have the best record—it kind of makes it an easy decision.”

Haliburton added, “I don’t have a vote, but if you took a player poll, I’m sure he would win.” With the dominant home victory over Indiana, Oklahoma City secured its 62nd win of the season, further solidifying its place atop the Western Conference.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 of the Oklahoma City Thunder reacts in the final seconds of their 135-119 win over the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena on February 28, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia.

A historic season for Shai

Gilgeous-Alexander’s season has been nothing short of legendary, arguably the best individual campaign in Thunder franchise history. And that’s saying something for an organization that has seen superstars like Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden.