"Not the best player" - Legendary announcer shreds Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for 'measly' 3 assists during Pistons-OKC clash

As the regular season comes to a close, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finds himself front and center in the MVP conversation. While many agree the star guard is more than deserving, one rival announced he jabbed at him in a recent matchup.

On Sunday night, the OKC Thunder faced off against a shorthanded Detroit Pistons team. In the midst of the matchup, longtime Pistons play-by-play announcer George Blaha gave his thoughts on the MVP candidate. He jabbed at SGA for only notching three assists while crowning Nikola Jokic as the best player in the world.

"A measly three assists for Gilgeous-Alexander and 10-for-26 shooting," Blaha said. "He may be the MVP but he’s not the best player in the world. The Joker is the best player in the world. He had a 61-point triple-double last night and had more than three assits.”

Jokic is SGA's only competition in the MVP race, as the two have set themselves apart from the pack. Even in this late stage of the year, many analysts are split on who they feel is most deserving to take home the hardware.

While Shai Gilgeous-Alexander only had three assists, he still put together a strong outing to lead the Thunder to their 11th straight win. In 35 minutes against the Pistons, he recorded 33 points, six rebounds, three assists, three steals and two blocks.

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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in elite company with James Harden and Michael Jordan

From the start of the season, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the OKC Thunder have been one of the NBA's most dominant teams. In the midst of what has been a historic year for the franchise, their star guard has put himself in elite company.

The Thunder's success has been a driving force in SGA's MVP case, along with his elite scoring numbers. As things slowly wind down to a close, he is leading the league in points per game at 32.8.

On pace to secure his first scoring title, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander also has a chance to join a long list of historic stars. He is the latest player to lead the NBA in scoring on a team that has won 60-plus games. Others to achieve this feat include James Harden, Michael Jordan, Steph Curry and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. It's also worth noting that the vast majority of players who won MVP when accomplishing this feat.

SGA has a sizable gap in the scoring lead, meaning he should finish as the NBA's top scorer this season. The next closest is Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is averaging just under 31 points per game.

Stats like this only add to what is already an iron-clad MVP case for SGA. However, he is going up against a historic season from Jokic. Based on how both players have performed this season, MVP could still go either way.