Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Wins 2nd Straight NBA MVP as Shams Charania’s Scoop Sparks Prime Backlash
Updated
Updated · Sports Illustrated · May 18
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Wins 2nd Straight NBA MVP as Shams Charania’s Scoop Sparks Prime Backlash
10 articles · Updated · Sports Illustrated · May 18
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander secured his second straight NBA MVP, becoming the 14th player in league history to win back-to-back awards after ESPN’s Shams Charania reported the result hours before the planned TV reveal.
Charania posted the news at 9:50 a.m. ET citing multiple sources, while Prime Video had been set to announce the award around 7:30 p.m. ET during its pregame show for Cavaliers-Pistons Game 7.
Prime’s studio reaction — including on-air joking from Taylor Rooks and Blake Griffin — underscored frustration that the exclusive announcement had been spoiled before the broadcast.
The episode extends a broader debate over whether league award reveals can still be treated as appointment viewing when most fans now get major sports news first through social media.
How will leagues protect billion-dollar media deals from being spoiled by a single social media post?
Is the planned sports award reveal an obsolete tradition in the social media age?