“The Champagne Just Wasn’t Popped”: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Breaks Down How He Celebrated the Thunder’s 2025 Championship

Calling the Oklahoma City Thunder’s 2024–25 season just “good” would do injustice to how they owned the West, finishing 68–14. They did what they had to do in the postseason to emerge as champions, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was at the top of his game, hitting big shots like it was nothing while the rest of the roster meshed perfectly around him. If only they had planned for what came after winning.

The Championship victory was never easy. Seven games in Denver, followed by a grueling seven-game epic against the Pacers in the Finals. But when the dust settled, the Thunder hoisted the Larry O’Brien Trophy. It was a statement: this was the Thunder’s league now.

The joy of watching it all unfold came from how unprepared SGA and his teammates were to actually celebrate their triumph. Partiers, they are not. Alex Caruso went viral for being the one who had to pop the celebratory champagne bottles because no one else could. In fact, the reigning MVP revealed in a recent interview on All The Smoke that his celebrations over the summer were pretty timid.

“I definitely had fun with my family, my friends, my teammates. The champagne just wasn’t popped by me,” joked Shai. He was asked moments after if he ended up spending any money on himself, especially after getting a $285 million supermax extension just weeks after the Finals.

While Shai didn’t beat around the bush, he admitted that he treated himself to some nice things. More importantly, he said he spent even more on the people who helped him achieve his goals. “I got myself a few gifts here and there. I took care of some of the people who helped me get to this point. So yeah, it was a good summer.”

SGA’s cool demeanor is certainly paying dividends for the Thunder this year. The squad is off to an unprecedented 24-1 start and is rocking a 16-game win streak. They are two wins away from becoming NBA Cup champions, and they are not even at full strength.

When Shai was asked who OKC is worried about, he had his answer locked and loaded.

“Denver is really good. The Spurs are really good. Houston is really good. Dallas, when they get healthy. The West is so deep.” Deep indeed. The Lakers have also grown strong, but strength doesn’t necessarily mean ready to compete against the reigning champs.

The Thunder are making one thing incredibly clear: this isn’t a fluke, and it isn’t a one-year wonder. With Shai leading the charge and a roster built on chemistry and unshakable focus, OKC is the powerhouse of the modern NBA.

Fans can cheer, analysts can debate, but when this team takes the floor, the message is unmistakable. The Thunder are here, they’re serious, and the West better be ready. The question now isn’t if they’ll stay on top. It’s how dominant they’re going to be while doing it. Let’s just hope they know how to pop the champagne when they celebrate in 2026.

About the author

Joseph Galizia

Joseph is a Las Vegas based actor and circus performer. For the last seven years he's had the pleasure of covering sports for multiple outlets, including the Lifestyles section of Sports Illustrated. In that time, he's conducted over 50 interviews with athletes, filmmakers, and company founders to further cement his footprint in the journalism world. He's excited to bring that skillset to the SportsRush, where he'll be covering the NBA news cycle.

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