The question of whether or not OKC Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the next face of the NBA has been heavily debated for the better part of the last six months.
Despite having just won the league scoring title, regular season MVP, and Finals MVP after winning the 2025 title, from his perceived lack of marketable charisma compared to, say, Anthony Edwards, to the obscure case that he's "foreign born," arguments have been made left and right for why the guard can't be dubbed as the current poster child of the association.
However, in recent weeks, the tone has been steadily shifting toward reasons for why Gilgeous-Alexander warrants the prestigious title, with the historically stubborn Shaquille O'Neal even giving his support to the 27-year-old, saying his game can only be classified as "greatness."
Now, ESPN's Tim MacMahon has laid out an even more straightforward statement suggesting that SGA has his vote for being the next face of the league, as he recently shared that he believes his dominance will bring back a lower rate of parity as far as awards season and championships won, and will be more akin to the days of Stephen Curry from the mid-2010s to the early 2020s.
Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander likened to Steph Curry, Kobe Bryant
During a recent edition of the Hoops Collective Podcast, the veteran reporter deemed the Thunder cornerstone "one of those guys," and believes that he belongs in "that level of historical company" alongside the likes Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, LeBron James, and Curry, all of whom went on to guide their teams to multiple championships while racking up storied individual honors along the way.
McMahon would further his reasoning by saying that "certainly the season that he just had stacks up with the best of the best in terms of history," and the numbers only further support such a claim.
He is one of four players in history to average 32+ points, 5+ rebounds, and 5+ assists while shooting over 50 percent from the field and win MVP in a single season, and joined Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Shaquille O'Neal as the only players to be crowned NBA MVP, league scoring champion, NBA Champion, and Finals MVP all in the same year.
On top of all this, in an era marred by daunting tax penalties and, more specifically, the dreaded second-apron, unlike virtually every other team, the Thunder seem to have the makings to navigate around all obstacles that may come their way, which MacMahon is convinced will lead them to multiple championships with Gilgeous-Alexander as their driving force.
There hasn't been a repeat champion nor a back-to-back representative in the NBA Finals since the Warriors back in 2018. By all accounts, the Thunder appear to be set up to snap this drought with SGA leading the charge.