As the reigning MVP, reigning Finals MVP and reigning NBA scoring champ, it’s good to be Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. He’s once again having an incredible season, and his OKC Thunder, with the best record in the league and another deep and talented roster around him, are favored to repeat as champs.
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SGA is dealing with an ab strain right now, but the good news for him and the Thunder is that it doesn’t seem to be serious. It’s also coming at the right time, as the playoffs are still months away, and he can take the upcoming All-Star Break off to rest up. The team has said he’ll be reevaluated next week.
Shai has led the Thunder to heights they’ve never reached before. Last year’s title was the first since the team moved from Seattle to Oklahoma, and just the second in franchise history.
Even the Kevin Durant-Russell Westbrook-James Harden team only reached the Finals once. It may sound crazy to say, but due to his unmatched accomplishments already, SGA is well on his way to being the best player in franchise history.
The 27-year-old point guard recently sat down with Greg Cally of Sports Illustrated for a wide-ranging interview that covered, among other things, his feelings about the new All-Star format, his rivalry with Anthony Edwards and the importance of his family in his life. He was also asked about following in the footsteps of the greats that came before him, and his answer helped explain why he’s been so successful.
When asked how he dealt with the expectations and pressure of following KD and Russ, he said, “Honestly speaking, the easiest way was just to not care about it. All those things happened in the past, and I had no part of and no control over, so me trying to figure out how to follow up or how to carry the torch, it was pointless to me the way I saw it.”
“I was gonna come to Oklahoma, and I was just gonna try to be the best basketball player that I could be every day and see where it took me,” SGA continued.
“I think because of that mindset, I’ve been able to create my own and have my own name, my own legacy. The guys before me, the teams before me were great, obviously, some of the best to ever play, but they’re no Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and I’m no them,” the Thunder star added.
Taken the wrong way, it almost sounds like SGA is being uncharacteristically boastful in the last part of his statement, but anybody that has followed his career knows that isn’t the case. He’s simply saying that he’s his own player and isn’t trying to be anybody else.
SGA has proven himself to be the rare humble superstar, someone more invested in putting the spotlight on his teammates than shining it on himself. That attitude is a big part of why OKC is so good, and favored to repeat as champs.
Pat Riley once talked about the “disease of more” that happens to most champions after they’ve won a ring. Everybody wants more credit, more money, more playing time, and ultimately, getting away from a team-first attitude derails a good thing. We’ve seen no evidence of that from the Thunder yet, which is a credit to their leader and best player.
