Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers pushed the OKC Thunder to the brink in the NBA Finals earlier this year, with the star guard’s showdown against Shai Gilgeous-Alexander being hailed as one of the league’s must-watch rivalries for the coming years. It’s exciting to get hyped about the future like that. That said, for Shai, the presence of the league’s established legends still makes the future feel like a secondary concern.
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Gilgeous-Alexander, who won the 2024–25 MVP, still wants to battle the biggest icons in the NBA, the likes of LeBron James and Stephen Curry. He understands that the league will be looking for new superstars to act as its face when the sure-shot Hall of Famers hang up their boots. But until they are suiting up, that’s the match-up he dreams of.
Shai, who’s enjoying the quieter side of superstar life in Oklahoma City, idolized these legends as a child, just like millions of fans across the country. He’s one of the rare few who combined talent and hard work enough to earn a spot in the same conversation as them. Who wouldn’t relish these games?
“Nothing against the guys my age, but the guys I can’t wait to match up against are the LeBrons, the Steph Currys, the KDs, the James Hardens,” the Oklahoma City Thunder man said to GQ.
This was in response to him being asked directly about Hali. “The guys I grew up watching, that have completely stamped themselves on basketball forever, that have accomplished the things I want from the game.”
New-generation talents like Shai, Luka Doncic, Anthony Edwards, and Haliburton are already carving their paths to greatness. But they’re not yet part of basketball’s Mount Rushmore. Shai, one day, aims to get there. And to do so, he’ll have to go head-to-head with the legends who’ve dominated the game for the past two decades.
“There’s no better test to see if I’m capable of accomplishing those things than going against those guys,” Gilgeous-Alexander added.
Haliburton’s potential re-match with Shai will be intriguing, of course. The Pacers lost the series to OKC in seven games, with Haliburton tearing his Achilles in the final showdown. He would be eyeing redemption, and Shai would be looking to further his legacy. For that, however, they could have to wait some time, since it’s likely the Pacers guard will miss the majority, if not the entirety of the 25–26 season.
In the meantime, the battles between Shai and James, Curry, Durant, and Harden could very well light up the Western Conference regular season, all the way to the deep stages of the playoffs.
Shai wants to be better than the best
Gilgeous-Alexander has big dreams, and they’re not limited to getting better than those he’s outshined on the court himself. He also wants to be better than his idols. In fact, he knows he can.
Talking about reaching a level above Kobe Bryant, Shai stated, “I pick up a basketball to be the best. If you’re asking me if I want to be better than Kobe , of course I do.”
“Every season you get better in the offseason, the NBA adjusts to that version of you, and then you learn something new. And that cycle just goes and goes and goes. As you go in your career, it becomes more mental.”
Shai has a long road ahead before he can claim to be better than any of the NBA’s all-time greats. Does he have the potential to win five championships as the franchise leader? Absolutely. But whether he possesses the Mamba mindset, to never quit and to keep improving year after year, remains to be seen.
