It is difficult to imagine Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the face of the Oklahoma City Thunder, playing for any other franchise. But those who love stirring the pot will continue to do so, as evidenced by Canadian media personality Nardwuar’s recent attempts to get SGA to talk about his hometown team.
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Being from Canada, the only team Shai could root for growing up was the Toronto Raptors. And for a while, he did. But then, he got to the NBA in 2018, played for the Los Angeles Clippers, got traded to OKC in 2019, and created history there by winning the MVP, Championship, and the Finals MVP last campaign.
Toronto is a long shot away from landing Shai. But Nardwuar, whose eccentric interviews on YouTube have landed him close to four million subscribers, wanted to get something out of the star guard.
Nardwuar kept coming up with connections between Shai and the Raptors, beginning by shedding light on his first-ever NBA game in Toronto. He then showed the Canadian a record from Master P, another former baller-turned music icon who played for the Raptors. Finally, he also said that Hakeem Olajuwon, who, surprise, surprise, also played in Toronto for a year.
“So, that’s a connection to the Raptors,” Nardwuar pointed out. “I know you play for OKC, but there are a lot of connections.” By that point, Shai understood what Nardwuar was trying to do and interjected, pleading with him to stop.
“You’re gonna get me into trouble, so you gotta slow down with this Raptors stuff,” Shai stated.
Nardwuar trying to link SGA to the Raptors lol
pic.twitter.com/j5Fm8Y41QR— Clemente Almanza (@CAlmanza1007) September 22, 2025
The 27-year-old was thinking about the Thunder. Fans of the franchise would not be happy with him gushing over his love for the Raptors or expressing too much interest in them. Plus, it’s not like Shai is planning on going anywhere, at least as far as we know.
Chances of Shai joining Raptors?
There’s a reason Nardwuar kept probing the MVP about the Raptors. Shai was a fan of the team growing up, and admitted in the same interview how he loved traveling to play away at the Raptors’ home because of the excitement they brought to the city.
“The Raptors brought so much excitement to Toronto. Growing up, I loved going to Raptors games. I looked forward to them. They were super special,” SGA said.
On several occasions, Shai has also admitted to loving the energy when he travels to his home city for games.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, like most Canadian kids, grew up loving the Toronto Raptors.
“The Raptors brought so much excitement to Toronto. Growing up, I loved going to Raptors games. I looked forward to them. They were super special.”
[via. @nardwuar ] https://t.co/tu95KUqmOp pic.twitter.com/PXohV3FTnU
— Omer Osman (@OmerOsman200) September 22, 2025
“Playing in front of people who are from where I’m from. Grew up the way I grew up. Seeing the same things I’ve seen. It’s like a little connection, even if I know them or not, we share a common bond. It’s cool. I’m proud to be Canadian,” SGA once said in an interview.
Fortunately for Thunder fans, this doesn’t mean he’s planning on packing his bags anytime soon.
On July 8, it was revealed that SGA had signed a massive $285 million deal with the Thunder, keeping him in Oklahoma until 2031. He’s both the present and the future of the OKC, who are expected to be the favorites from the Western Conference to go all the way.
