Shai Gilgeous-Alexander steals the show, and OKC Thunder fans hearts at media day

The OKC Thunder held their annual Media Day on Monday, and their new face of the franchise not only stole the show but fans hearts.

Wow, where did the time go? It seems like just yesterday Damian Lillard hit one of the most iconic and improbable shots in NBA history to send the OKC Thunder spiraling into an eventual rebuild. After an offseason of transition that went by in a blink, the most tangible asset the OKC Thunder received was second-year point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander came into Media Day with a lot of eyes on him, and he did not disappoint.

At just 21 years old, the Canadian Native handled his first taste of the Oklahoma City media like a pro, as we all expected he would.  After Sam Presti dealt the face of the franchise, and fan-favorite Russell Westbrook to the Houston Rockets, OKC Thunder fans were searching for an answer. A guy to rally around, grow attached to and embrace the same way this community did Russell Westbrook.

And While SGA might not fill that Russ shaped hole in your heart right away, it is clear after Media Day, it will not take long. The quote that stands out to me and a lot of other Thunder fans is not even one of his basketball talent.

This is an incredible quote from Shai Gilgesou-Alexander it shows that he understands his target audience of OKC Thunder fans.

Now it is important to note that literally everyone understands this does not mean he is staying in Oklahoma City for this rest of his career, or even longer than he has to. That just does not happen anymore.

We can also all name examples of stars saying this to the media (and in turn their fanbase) and leaving. Kyrie Irving telling the Boys and Girls Club of Cleveland he is not leaving being the most iconic example.

However, this comment does not get a lot of the fanbase excited due to thinking SGA will play in Bricktown forever.

It is much deeper than that.

The State of Oklahoma is a lot different than most other professional cities and states. We do not have any inner state rivalries. When you put the Oklahoma City across your chest and represent this organization, you are not only being an identifiable symbol to OKC, but rather an entire state.

So to see Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who is from Hamilton, Canada and has already tasted the “high-life” of Los Angeles, saying he wants to grow with this city and be apart of this community is huge for the State of Oklahoma and everyone who lives here. Branding himself the “Prince of the Prairie.” is huge.

From the word go, SGA has put his money where his mouth is.

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In terms of on the court answers, SGA did not disappoint there either. Gilgeous-Alexander said in regard to having three ball handlers on the roster being a challenge while possibly on the floor at the same time (Chris Paul, SGA, and Dennis Schroder) “It doesn’t become a challenge, it’s a weapon almost.” He later elaborated and said having the assortment of ball handlers helps with the flow of the offense and a versatile game plan.

Shai also mentioned he is excited to play with Chris Paul, and that he thinks this Thunder team can be very good defensively.

When asked about this team, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander told the normal Fox Sports Oklahoma crew, Chris Fisher and Michael Cage, “We have a lot of guys who are not selfish. When you have a group like that the sky is the limit. You guys saw it last year with the “Under talented” Clippers team, we have that same approach with this team (as last year’s Clippers team did) and we should be in good shape (for winning games)”

Do the quotes from the new face of the franchise Shai Gilgesou-Alexander get you excited for the future of this franchise?