Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Breaks Down His Scuffle Against Greece In Canada’s Win

Canada began their 2024 Paris Olympics journey with an 86-79 victory over Greece. However, this win was soon overshadowed when their talisman, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, unexpectedly got involved in a post-game scuffle. Later, he broke down the reason behind his feistiness, capturing fans’ attention around the world.

In the post-game interview, SGA explained that the aggressive reaction was his way to defend his teammate, Nickeil Alexander-Walker. After an opposition player intentionally bumped into the latter, the 26-year-old felt compelled to respond. As per the Washington Post’s Ben Golliver on X (formerly Twitter), the Canadian declared,

“No. 5 bumped Nickeil [Alexander-Walker] after the whistle for no reason. I just wanted to let him know we don’t play that. It was hashed out. It was cool”.

As SGA pointed out, Greece’s number 5, Giannoulis Larentzakis, instigated the heated exchanges. Shortly after the final buzzer, his antics caught the eyes of the Oklahoma City Thunder star. The Canadian consequently approached the opposition’s guard, while Giannis Antetokounmpo stepped in to keep them apart and de-escalate the situation.

During this brief scuffle, SGA reportedly directed harsh words toward his opponent. According to an audio clip shared by a fan on X, the 2x All-Star allegedly told Larentzakis, “What’s up, b***h?” multiple times.

However, things quickly returned to normal once Luguentz Dort entered the scene. The Greek players retreated to their side of the floor shortly after the 220-pound Canadian joined the fray. This amused his OKC teammate, Chet Holmgren, who later joked about it on X, stating, “Everyone always quick to walk away when LU show up to the scuffle”.

This unexpected ending undoubtedly eclipsed the contributions of both teams. After all, Greece fought hard despite Canada leading for most of the game. Their talisman, Antetokounmpo, for instance, kept his nation in the game with a 34-point performance, going 11-17 from the field. Additionally, veteran Kostas Papanikolaou made a significant impact with his 17-point display.

Greece’s strong efforts eventually fell short of Canada’s combined endeavors. Spearheaded by SGA’s 21 points and 7 assists, they outscored the opponents by 10 points in the first half. This cushion helped secure the win as RJ Barrett’s 23 points and Dillon Brooks’ 14 points and 5 assists ensured they maintained their lead.

So, Canada is off to an impressive start. Additionally, this game showcased why they were considered contenders for the gold medal, as their roster possessed all the necessary qualities to live up to this tag. They now need to capitalize on this win to build momentum in their favor and turn this into a reality.