Shai Gilgeous-Alexander climbed as high as he ever had in his career, last season, winning the NBA title, the MVP, and the Finals MVP. But his conquest on the basketball court seemingly wasn’t enough, as the Canadian now hinted at pressing into another frontier.
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Since the end of the 2024-25 campaign, Gilgeous-Alexander has been on an interview spree across the country, appearing on shows like Good Morning America and even The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. His latest revelation, however, came during an interview with the famous YouTuber Nardwuar.
The OKC star was asked about Allen Iverson and the influence he had on his father, whose favorite player was “The Answer.” Why did Nardwuar bring it up? Because he had a special gift for the Thunder guard, one that tapped into Gilgeous-Alexander’s musical passion.
Nardwuar, whose channel NardwuarServiette has over 3.8 million subscribers, presented SGA with an unreleased Iverson record. Interestingly, it was the second of its kind in the interview, as he had already come across one from Kobe Bryant earlier in the video.
“Iverson made music, too?” SGA questioned. “Yes, he did!” Nardwuar responded.
“Okay, well, you know what? After this, I’m going to get in the studio and make music too,” Shai added. “Yeah, I might as well.”
It made Nardwuar laugh, because sadly, it felt like a joke. The MVP didn’t sound all too serious. He quickly moved on, sharing his gratitude for the gifts. “This is crazy. This is the first thing I’m going to do, I’m going to listen to Allen Iverson’s records, and then the Kobe record tonight,” Shai added.
It was clear the gifts meant a lot to SGA. Normally, such a smooth and composed personality, he rarely shows much emotion, but the rarity of the records seemed to catch him off guard. When Nardwuar asked him how much Iverson meant to him growing up, the MVP gushed.
“Everything about him. Tattoos, braids. Well, I don’t have any tattoos. But the braids, the swag, the confidence, his style. He was everything back in the day.”
Shai even shared that he met Iverson as a kid when he played in his showcase during his senior year of high school. The two have remained in contact since then, and as recently as a few weeks ago, AI attended SGA’s dad’s basketball camp in Toronto. He says Iverson is a great guy who’s very down to earth.
It was an awesome interview. Nardwuar, as always, managed to keep viewers on their toes with his eccentric and distinctive style. This time, he caught Shai off guard with some priceless gifts, giving fans another glimpse into the life of the man of the hour during the NBA offseason.
