It's not hyperbole to say that OKC Thunder cornerstone Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is arguably the most scrutinized player in the NBA today.
From the always-classic (and regularly debunked) claims of him being the league's newest free-throw merchant to literal shots being taken at his perceived "boring," Tim Duncan-esque public persona, the perennial All-NBA talent has been hit with it all.
And it seems he couldn't care less.
During a recent sit-down with the folks at TIME, SGA discussed all the noise and scrutiny he has faced throughout his career, particularly since thrusting himself into superstardom over the past few years.
In his eyes, dealing with the backlash he does is truly no skin off his back. As he put it, all things considered, he would choose his life and his approach to the game "a million times out of a million times," especially if the worst thing that comes from it is criticism from keyboard warriors on social media.
People can say what they want, but at the end of the day, the Thunder star is clearly not planning on changing who he is or his approach to the game.
Thunder star is more than confident in his status in the league
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has no doubt when it comes to just how good he believes he is compared to the rest of his NBA peers.
In fact, as he put it in his interview with TIME, he views himself as the top player in the game today, saying that his play and efficiency can only be described as "best-player-in-the-NBA."
Frankly, it's hard to argue against such a notion at this point.
Following the 2025-26 campaign, the Thunder star became just one of five players in league history to average 30.0 or more points in four straight seasons and became the first guard to ever average 30-plus points per game on at least 55.0 percent shooting from the field.
Throughout his rise to superstardom, Shai has compiled a treasure trove of accolades, headlined by four straight All-NBA First Team honors, two consecutive MVP wins, and a 2025 NBA Championship, where he would be crowned Finals MVP in the process.
What's most impressive of all is the fact that he's accomplishing these feats and performing at such high levels, yet he's only just turned 28.
With this, it's safe to assume this may not even be the best version of SGA that we'll see. Without question, this is a frightening thought for opposing clubs to ponder, as the best player in the league realistically should get even better in the coming years.
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