After an outstanding year in the NBA and in international play, Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander captured the Northern Star Award as Canadian athlete of the year on Monday.
Media members across the country vote on the annual award, which is presented by The Toronto Star.
Swimmer Summer McIntosh, golfer Nick Taylor, hockey star Connor McDavid and hammer thrower Camryn Rogers were the other finalists.
Born in Toronto and raised in Hamilton, Gilgeous-Alexander, 25, was named to the All-NBA first team last season after averaging 31.4 points in 68 games for the Thunder.
Gilgeous-Alexander then led Canada to a bronze medal at the FIBA World Cup in the summer.
The country’s best finish in program history at the tournament also earned Canada a berth in the 2024 Paris Olympics, ending a 24-year Summer Games drought.
Gilgeous-Alexander is off to a strong start this season. He is sixth in NBA scoring with an average of 30.5 points per game for a Thunder team that sits second in the Western Conference standings.
Gilgeous-Alexander is just the second basketball player in history to win the Northern Star Award. Steve Nash earned the honour in 2005.
