Five seasons ago, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was one of the pieces the OKC Thunder acquired in the Paul George trade. But ever since he joined the Thunder, SGA has consistently exceeded expectations and has assumed the role of a centerpiece in the organization. Shai’s leadership has brought the young team back to championship contention within a few years of initiating a rebuild.
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Considered the underdog just last year, the Thunder is now the favorite to top the Western Conference in the 2024-25 season. Last season, Gilgeous-Alexander even finished second in the MVP voting. Therefore, it’s pretty clear that the 26-year-old is keen on leading his team to new heights this season.
Before the start of their campaign, Gilgeous-Alexander told the Thunder Wire’s managing editor, Clemente Almanza, how he views his role within the current roster.
“No knock on anybody that’s not a star player but growing up, you watch Kobe Bryant, cornerstone of the Lakers franchise; you watch LeBron James, cornerstone of Cleveland franchise; you watch Allen Iverson, cornerstone of Philly’s franchise. Those are the guys budding in your face when you watch the game of basketball.”
“The guys you go out and try to emulate and go out there and inspire to play the game. Indirectly, (Presti) has given me that opportunity to be that guy,” Shai added.
He undoubtedly has big shoes to fill if he intends to be in the same conversation as the franchise cornerstones he mentioned. Both Kobe Bryant and LeBron James took their respective teams to the promised land. Allen Iverson was also responsible for the 76ers’ sole Finals appearance in 40 years, even though he was unable to lift the Larry O’Brien during his career.
These are the standards that Shai wants to hold himself to. With arguably the league’s best General Manager building a contending roster around him, SGA and the Thunder have no excuses to not make it to the Conference Finals for the first time since 2016.
Perhaps, like Kobe Bryant, Gilgeous-Alexander will make his MVP jump this season and signal to the league that a new era has arrived.
Bryant’s MVP chants motivated a young Shai
“Kobe is Michael Jordan, just on steroids,” SGA once proclaimed. His love for the Black Mamba can be traced back to his childhood, when he would practice his free throws and imagine being in Bryant’s shoes.
“I was watching a Kobe game and the crowd was chanting ‘MVP’ at the free throw line and I just remember immediately after the game was over, going outside, chanting ‘MVP’ to myself at the free throw line just hoping and dreaming that one day I would be in that moment,” he told ESPN in March.
Now, the 26-year-old has achieved that dream, scoring more points last season than Kobe Bryant did in his MVP campaign. The only thing left for him to fully emulate his idol, is the silverware. Interestingly, the Thunder are in a position akin to the 2008 Lakers.
If Shai Gilgeous-Alexander can carry his team to the 1st seed and nab his first MVP award, it might be a warning to the league that the Thunder are finally ready to break their 44-year-long championship drought.
