Shai Gilgeous-Alexander joins Packers legend in super exclusive club after impressive feat that only few in sports can claim
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has a unique story in the NBA. He was originally drafted by the Los Angeles Clippers and played one season there before being moved to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the blockbuster Paul George trade six years ago.Eventually, SGA became a superstar in the NBA. This season, he made something that hadn't happened […]
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has a unique story in the NBA. He was originally drafted by the Los Angeles Clippers and played one season there before being moved to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the blockbuster Paul George trade six years ago.
Eventually, SGA became a superstar in the NBA. This season, he made something that hadn't happened since LeBron James in 2012/2013: regular season MVP and Finals MVP in the same year. When you put in perspective his career trajectory, it's even more impressive.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport posted on social media a really interesting concept. In NFL history, only nine NFL players were traded before their first MVP season. Only two of them, Green Bay Packers' Brett Favre and San Francisco 49ers' Steve Young, won the regular season MVP and Super Bowl MVP — both did it in the same seasons as well.
Different circumstances
Brett Favre was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the second round back in 1991 and was a backup throughout his entire rookie season. A year later, Packers general manager Ron Wolf traded a first-round pick to acquire Favre, and he became the best quarterback in the NFL.
Favre won three consecutive MVP awards between 1995 and 1997. In 1996, the quarterback led the Packers to a Super Bowl win, and also won the Super Bowl MVP award. Looking back, it's a similar trajectory as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had in the NBA.
Steve Young started his professional career in the old USFL for the Los Angeles Express. After two years, he was bought out of his deal and selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in an NFL supplemental draft.
Young played two bad seasons for the Bucs, throwing 11 touchdowns and 21 interceptions, then was traded to the 49ers for second- and fourth-round picks. He spent four seasons as a backup before taking over, and became one of the most prolific and versatile quarterbacks. Young was the MVP in 1992 and 1994, and won three Super Bowl championships, one of them as a starter and Super Bowl MVP.
It wasn't a common path for any of these athletes, but they are proof that betting on young talent might be worth it, even if the first team didn't have what it took to make them real stars.
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