Shai Gilgeous-Alexander received the key to the city of Hamilton during a public rally at Hamilton Stadium.

According to ESPN,  Mayor Andrea Horwath was present to bestow the honor on Gilgeous-Alexander, making him the first person to receive the award since 1998.

Along with the key to the city, Horwath also announced that SGA will have a street named after capping off his remarkable season.

Addressing the cheering crowd, the Oklahoma City Thunder star guard reflected on his journey that began in his hometown of Hamilton.

“Growing up as I traveled across the world, to countless states, cities, and countries, people always asked where I was from,” Gilgeous-Alexander said as he raised the championship trophy in the air. “I took pride in letting everyone know I was from Hamilton.”

“Hamilton is different from every other city in Ontario. Hamiltonians carry a different sense of grit, determination, pride, and energy than the rest of the province, and honestly, I couldn’t shy away from that,” he continued. “I carry that with me every day and everywhere I go so you guys can only imagine how (much) overwhelming joy there was when I found out I was getting a key to the city I love and a street named after me.”

In his historic season, Gilgeous-Alexander led the NBA in scoring with  32.7 points per game, was named MVP of the league and Finals MVP, leading OKC to its first championship.

During free agency in July, Gilgeous-Alexander signed a four-year, $285 million supermax contract extension