​After enjoying a summer filled with achievements and accolades, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has taken a step back. That’s what happens when you’re no longer sitting on the NBA throne. He fell short of bringing home another trophy.Gilgeous-Alexander didn’t win the ESPY 2026 NBA Player of the Year award. Instead, Jalen Brunson was named the winner. The other nominees were Nikola Jokic and Victor Wembanyama.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe ESPY’s are ESPN’s annual sports award show. They’re handed out every July — when most of the leagues are in the offseason. Gilgeous-Alexander won the 2025-26 MVP award — making him a rare back-to-back recipient. He also led the Oklahoma City Thunder to a league-best 64-18 regular-season record. Alas, that resume wasn’t strong enough to bring home another ESPY trophy.Instead, it goes to Brunson. He led the New York Knicks to an NBA championship. They caught fire at the right time with a historic 16-3 playoff record. They beat the San Antonio Spurs in five games to win the 2026 NBA Finals. Of course, Brunson won the 2026 NBA Finals MVP.Well, this shouldn’t be a shocker. The ESPY’s have turned into awarding whoever had the best postseason performance. And while Gilgeous-Alexander was awesome through two rounds, he played below his ridiculous standards in the 2026 Western Conference Finals, which eventually led to OKC’s playoff exit.Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 31.1 points on 55.3% shooting, 6.6 assists and 4.2 rebounds in 68 regular-season games this past season. The 28-year-old remains one of the NBA’s best players and is frequently in the conversation for the face of the league.This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander falls short of winning this 2026 ESPY award