Stephen A's Take: SGA joins elite company as MVP | Tyrese Haliburton’s Achilles injury was heartbreaking.

Stephen A. Smith is a New York Times Bestselling Author, Executive Producer, host of ESPN's First Take, and co-host of NBA Countdown.

🏆 NBA Finals Recap

• Champions: Oklahoma City Thunder win the 2024–2025 NBA Championship in Game 7 over the Indiana Pacers.
• MVP: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (SGA)
  • 29 points, 12 assists, 1 turnover in Game 7
  • Joins elite company as MVP, scoring champ, and NBA champion in the same season
• Thunder’s Core:
  • Jalen Williams (J-Dub), Chet Holmgren, Alex Caruso, Isaiah Hartenstein
  • Deep bench with Wiggins and Wallace
  • Second-youngest championship team in NBA history

💔 Tyrese Haliburton Injury

• Suffered an Achilles injury in Game 7
• Was off to a hot start before going down
• Emotional moment as he greeted teammates on crutches post-game
• His absence shifted the momentum of the game and series

🏀 Indiana Pacers’ Future

• Despite the loss, the Pacers showed promise:
  • Bennedict Mathurin, Myles Turner, and others showed flashes
  • TJ McConnell praised for his gritty performance—nearly MVP-worthy if Pacers had won
• Haliburton’s injury likely sidelines him for the 2025–2026 season

🚑 Injury Crisis in the NBA

• Major stars out for next season:
  • Tyrese Haliburton (Achilles)
  • Jayson Tatum (Achilles)
  • Damian Lillard (Achilles)
  • Kyrie Irving (ACL)
• Raises concerns about the toll of modern pace-of-play on players’ bodies
• JJ Redick’s comments on modern wear-and-tear vs. old-school physicality are echoed

🔁 Blockbuster Trade: Kevin Durant to Houston Rockets

• Trade Details:
  • KD to Houston
  • Phoenix receives: Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, 2025 #10 pick, five second-round picks
• Houston’s New Core:
  • KD joins Fred VanVleet, Alperen Şengün, Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith Jr.
  • Rockets now seen as legit contenders in the West

🔥 Phoenix Suns Fallout

• KD’s age (36) and contract limited trade return
• Suns now focused on offloading Bradley Beal, who has a no-trade clause
• Beal’s value has plummeted—team may pay him to stay home

🧠 Stephen A’s Takeaways

• OKC is the team to beat, but Houston is coming
• KD still elite: 27 PPG, 50/39/88 shooting splits
• Miami Heat missed a huge opportunity by not pursuing KD harder
• Pat Riley may need to step back and let Erik Spoelstra take over full control

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