First time so nice, he wants to do it twice. A motto befitting of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander who wants to be even more dominant than he was in his historic MVP season. A season in which he led the league in scoring, grabbed the Conference Finals MVP, and also the Finals MVP. Despite this bevy of accomplishments, the Canadian superstar, admittedly, wasn’t quite pleased with how the Oklahoma City Thunder won its first NBA Championship.
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Gilgeous-Alexander’s mindset has impressed quite a few people, including Shannon Sharpe, who understood where the OKC man came from. The Thunder had a 68-14 record, which was the best in the NBA. But in the playoffs, they weren’t quite as unstoppable. “I didn’t like the way we won,” Shai had said.
The Thunder were taken to seven games by both the Denver Nuggets and the Indiana Pacers (in the Finals), and there was an element of “what if”, considering injuries to key players in both squads. Sharpe spoke about it on a recent episode of Nightcap.
“They went seven games with the Nuggets, they went seven games with the Pacers,” said Sharpe, after noting how the playoffs are the real deal because teams get several games to figure their rivals out, making winning much more difficult.
“If Aaron Gordon doesn’t hurt his hamstring in that game seven, what happens? If [Tyrese] Haliburton doesn’t tear his Achilles in game seven, what happens…? So I get it,” he continued.
Gilgeous-Alexander also stated that he wants to improve on a personal level, which to most, will sound absurd because the 2024/25 version of him was as good as it’s ever been. “For me as well, as a player, I don’t think I was good in the postseason as I was in the regular season.” That’s what he had to say.
The way SGA has begun the 2025/26 season, it appears as though he was serious. He’s averaging 33 points per game and has been the main man leading the Thunder to yet another dominant start. They’re first in the Western Conference with a 10-1 record, and as Sharpe pointed out, they’re doing it without Shai’s main deputy, Jalen Williams.
Continuing about Gilgeous Alexander, Sharpe added, “I like his mentality, I like his mindset, he’s like, ‘I wanna be dominant, I wanna be dominant in the postseason like I was in the regular season.'”
The playoffs are a long way away, and it’s a (near) guarantee that the Thunder will make it comfortably. It’s what happens thereafter that will determine whether the Thunder considers this a successful season or not. One thing is certain however: Gilgeous-Alexander needs to be the protagonist of the run and stay as motivated as ever.
