NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Praised for What He Did Before Finals originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The time has finally come for the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers. After a lot of anticipation, these two teams will finally kick off the NBA Finals to determine which team will come out as this year's NBA champions.

Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has not had a typical rise to MVP status. Yet those who’ve been around the guard are hardly surprised by his individual success.

Being a surprise contributor, Tony Bradley provided the Indiana Pacers with some great depth in their Eastern Conference Finals win over the New York Knicks. The backup center had quite a long journey to reach this point.