On Wednesday, May 21st, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was announced the 2025 NBA MVP. The Thunder finished the season with an incredible 68–14 record, the best in the league and one of the best of all time. SGA deserved the award as he put up ridiculous numbers: 32.7 points, 6.4 assists, and 5 rebounds per game.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was the engine of a Thunder team that outscored opponents by a historic margin of 12.9 points per game, the highest in league history. He led the NBA in scoring while playing elite defense, orchestrating one of the most balanced and dangerous young teams we’ve seen in years. But while SGA and the Thunder were breaking records, making history and earning awards, things looked a little different over in Brooklyn.
The Nets didn’t have a player in the MVP race, and they didn’t need one. What they did need was someone to step up, not as a superstar, but as a steady hand in a season full of shake-ups. And that guy? Cam Johnson, no question.
When Mikal Bridges got traded to the Knicks last offseason, the message was clear: this team was heading into rebuild mode. Cam Thomas was supposed to be the breakout guy, but a lingering hamstring issue kept him out for most of the year. That left the door wide open for someone to take the lead. And Johnson walked right through it.
He quietly had the best season of his career, 18.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.4 assists. If that was not impressive enough he finished just shy of the coveted 50/40/90 club, hitting 47.5% from the field, 39% from three, and nearly 90% from the line.
But more than the numbers, it was the way Johnson played. Confident. Calm. Clutch. Whether it was hitting a big three late in the fourth, making the extra pass, or just spacing the floor the way only a true sniper can, he was everything the Nets needed. Johnson even repped Brooklyn at All-Star Weekend in the 3-Point Contest, which felt like a well-deserved nod to his breakout year.
And let’s not forget, the front office could’ve traded him at the deadline. A lot of teams were calling. But the Nets held firm, and they were right to. Cam Johnson showed that he’s more than a role player; he’s a foundation piece. He may not have a trophy to show for it, but make no mistake: Cam Johnson was Brooklyn’s MVP