Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is less than a year removed from winning the league MVP and leading the OKC Thunder to their first-ever NBA title, and he's well on his way to earning more accolades this season.
However, in an odd turn of events, it appears his accomplishments might as well be non-existent to ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith.
In a recent segment of First Take, the longtime sports personality sounded off on the future faces of the association. He gave LeBron James and Stephen Curry their flowers, acknowledging how they changed the game in their era of dominance.
He then spoke about who would take up the mantle in the twilight of their careers.
"What we're seeing today is guys that don't want [to be the face], which is what the old guard resents. If you don't want it, you don't want what [LeBron and Steph] were forced to deal with, that had to define their greatness," Smith said.
Stephen A.'s claim that no one wants to take up the mantle is reckless at best. In fact, there are multiple names that could prove him wrong over the next few years.
Meanwhile, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been proving him wrong for a while now, and it's apparently happened right under his nose.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander checks all the boxes of future face of the NBA
For three and a half years now, SGA has dominated the league in a bevy of ways.
He has averaged over 30.0 points per game while shooting over 50.0 percent throughout, has led OKC to three consecutive playoff berths, including two as the first seed, and has earned himself a Michael Jordan Trophy, a Larry O'Brien Trophy, and a Bill Russell Trophy.
At the mere age of 27, Shai has begun to decorate himself like some of the greats before him and continues to find new ways to set himself apart from the rest of the NBA.
As for his demeanor, the Thunder superstar's compassion and professionalism rival that of Steph Curry. Both are non-polarizing and likable, and outwork everybody else on the court while leading honest lives out of the spotlight, surrounded by loving families.
Shai's lifestyle can be epitomized by his infamous "my whole life is consistent" quote.
Thunder might be the only thing holding Shai Gilgeous-Alexander back
While Gilgeous-Alexander has been doing everything in his power to take over the mantle from the "old guards," there is one thing that LeBron and Steph have that he doesn't -- a large market.
James and Curry, while earning every bit of recognition they received, both greatly benefited from playing in large markets for significant portions of their careers. Curry has spent his entire career in San Francisco, while James has played long-term stints in Miami and Los Angeles.
Together, the two have been able to dominate the spotlight for nearly two straight decades.
Oklahoma City might unfortunately be the only thing hindering Shai's case.
Even though he is doing everything right, he has an uphill battle to fight for national attention while playing in the middle of the country.
Whether Stephen A. is willing to admit this or not, his coastal bias might be what's getting in the way of noticing SGA's efforts to pick up where the legends are leaving off.