The OKC Thunder decided to give their 23-year-old point guard a max contract extension after Shai Gilgeous-Alexander put up one of the most efficient seasons in Oklahoma City Thunder history, his Q-rating certainly went up.
SGA has always been a fashion icon, filling the hole Russell Westbrook left in the Thunder’s closet. As his court production continued to match his fashion, fun, incredible outfits, his rise to stardom truly starter.
Now, the Canadian is being featured in GQ Magazine, as Tyler Tynes follows the point guard around as he takes the Meta Gala and all surrounding Fashion Week events by storm.
Along with great stories of SGA’s love for gummy bears, his style and value in clothes, pondering if he should buy expensive art, and calling himself the “Black Steve Nash” Oklahoma City’s point guard states his desire to be the best in the game of basketball.
OKC Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander wants to be the best
Look, is it possible Shai Gilgeous-Alexander becomes the best player in NBA history? I am not going to tell him, no, but obviously, it is more realistic to take this quote and run with it in terms of his work ethic, and his OKC Thunder legacy.
With the Kentucky product, it is clear he is going to put in as much work as humanly possible, one quick browse of his social media will show you plenty of video evidence that he is in the gym what feels like 24-hours a day.
While the national media has only recently seen the type of player Gilgeous-Alexander is, it has not taken long for peers to realize he is a guard they would love to play with.
No one should hold the fourth-year guard to a LeBron James, Michael Jordan standard, could he turn into the greatest player to dawn a Thunder jersey?
On the surface, it sounds crazy. An organization that has fostered Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant, James Harden, Paul George, Carmelo Anthony, and so many other future Hall of Famers, how can SGA reach that level?
KD’s legacy in OKC is not what his talent level suggests it should be, due to his messy flee to Golden State. James Harden was not the player you see in Brooklyn when he was balling in Bricktown. Melo falls into the Derek Fisher category, as Paul George produced a season in OKC that landed him third in MVP voting.
The toughest player to pass will be Westbrook. He was the first…everything. The star, the one who stayed, the first fashion icon, the backbone of this organization still even as he is on his fourth team in four years.
Despite it making me feel incredibly old, there is a generation that only knows Westbrook as a player who has disappointing playoff moments, which tarnishes his legacy with the younger demographic of fans.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander plays a more efficient and methodical game than Russ, his playstyle is different. If Sam Presti builds a championship-caliber team again, only this time with SGA at the helm, would the organization have more success?
Is having team success, like possibly delivering the first championship to Oklahoma City, enough to topple this fanbase’s first true love, who put up the highlights we all call back to, who averaged triple-doubles, and won an MVP award?
While we can debate if SGA can ever get out of Westbrook’s shadow and announce himself as the GOAT of the Thunder organization, one thing is for sure, he will cause a generational divide in Bricktown.