Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has stolen the show in the NBA.From his dazzling play on the floor that grabbed him his first All-Star nod, All-NBA first-team honors, top-five in MVP voting, and runner-up in the most improved player away, to his off-the-floor fashion that dominated the Met Gala and NBA pre-game tunnel fits.
This season, the Oklahoma City Thunder won 40 games and made their way into the NBA Play-In Tournament. While they finished a game shy of reaching the first round of the NBA playoffs, part o the thrill of each win and milestone was waiting to see what Shai Gilgeous-Alexander would come up with for his next Instagram caption.
Or, so we thought. This is a divisive topic in the OKC Thunder locker room. At the team’s annual exit interviews, I asked Tre Mann, a lyricist in his own right as a songwriter, what his favorite SGA caption was. He unleashed a conspiracy on me that he does not believe Gilgeous-Alexander is the one writing the captions. So then, it became my mission to poll the rest of the squad.
Does Shai Gilgeous-Alexander truly write his own Instagram captions? Tre Mann doesn’t think so.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has dominated the social media scene this season with his post-victory Instagram posts.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is truly elite on and off the floor. Sunset bars wearing the sunset uniforms. pic.twitter.com/zxL9m70l21
— Rylan Stiles (@Rylan_Stiles) March 20, 2023
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has NEVER missed pic.twitter.com/Px1GcJbie9
— Rylan Stiles (@Rylan_Stiles) February 18, 2023
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Is incredible. pic.twitter.com/XwrjuhuNs9
— Rylan Stiles (@Rylan_Stiles) April 8, 2023
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has a new Instagram caption. The playoffs are coming… pic.twitter.com/sKTWmiT8H9
— Rylan Stiles (@Rylan_Stiles) March 27, 2023
With countless other captions to choose from, Tre Mann did not only pick his favorite. He also revealed he thought Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had some help brainstorming these captions.
Tre Mann told me his favorite Shai Gilgeous-Alexander caption was the 44 on the Rockets caption but breaks the news that he doesn’t believe it’s all Shai. He said he believes Drake helps him. He also told us Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said he is getting in the booth this summer. pic.twitter.com/ly426LAm7F
— Rylan Stiles (@Rylan_Stiles) April 15, 2023
The rest of the team was pretty non-committal or agreed with Man, but Isaiah Joe said he believes these great captions are all from the superstar himself.
Isaiah Joe is the first player to fully believe Shai Gilgeous-Alexander comes up with the Instagram captions but when I asked his favorite he said Jalen Williams is what ties it all together with his explanations in the comments that’s his favorite part. pic.twitter.com/uKWs40LUPo
— Rylan Stiles (@Rylan_Stiles) April 15, 2023
But then we got a new piece of evidence from rookie big man Chet Holmgren, who not only defended his superstar but went as far as to say SGA comes up with the captions at times in front of the team.
I asked Chet Holmgren if Shai Gilgeous-Alexander comes up with his Instagram captions on his own and he said Shai absolutely does and has done it before in front of the team. But couldn’t pick just one for his favorite. pic.twitter.com/vSosCpzEoy
— Rylan Stiles (@Rylan_Stiles) April 15, 2023
At least until Media Day, where I can ask the man himself, it remains a mystery whether Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has any help formulating these killer captions. But there is a little storybook aspect to believing he is good enough to be incredible at everything on and off the floor.