Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been named the 2023 recipient of the Northern Star Award.
The annual award, formerly known as the Lou Marsh Trophy, is given to Canada’s athlete of the year based on votes from members of the media.

Gilgeous-Alexander led Team Canada to a historic bronze-medal finish at the 2023 FIBA World Cup.
In the process of doing so, the men’s basketball team also qualified for the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics, their first Olympic berth since 2000.
Last NBA season, he averaged 31.4 points per game along with 5.5 assists and 4.8 rebounds with the Thunder and was named an All-Star for the first time in his professional career.
In 20 games this season, Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging a team high 30.5 points per game, sixth best in the NBA. He was named to the prestigious All-NBA first team after the 2022-23 campaign.
The Oklahoma City Thunder point guard beat Nick Taylor, who this year became the first Canadian in 69 years to win his national open, swimmer Summer McIntosh, hammer thrower Camryn Rogers and Connor McDavid of the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers for the award.

Past winners include Bayern Munich’s Alphonso Davies (2020) former U.S. Open tennis champion Bianca Andreescu (2019) and decorated Olympic swimmer Penny Oleksiak (2016).
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was born in Toronto, and grew up in Hamilton. His mother, Charmaine Gilgeous, is a former track athlete who competed for Antigua and Barbuda at the 1992 Summer Olympics. His father, Vaughn Alexander, coached him as a youth.