After years of grueling tankathons and abiding by rebuilding agendas, the OKC Thunder appear to be ready to thrust themselves back into the NBA's postseason and, in turn, compete for the franchise's first Larry O'Brien Trophy.
Though the club's incredible improvements are a result of a full-team effort, it is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander who has served as top dog within Mark Daigneault's pecking order and, in such a role, he's managed to evolve his individual status from being a rising stud to a flat-out superstar.
Producing at levels that have only been seen from the likes of the legendary Michael Jordan, the point guard is establishing himself as a true generational talent and, at just 25 years old, is being looked toward as one of the future lead faces of the NBA.
Of course, considering the impressive collection of talents scattered across the association, Gilgeous-Alexander is not alone in this conversation, as there's a slew of others who are of a similar age and boast a level of talent akin to his own.
One of these players is Anthony Edwards who, interestingly enough, is spearheading the charge for a Timberwolves team that is in direct competition with the Thunder to take home the Western Conference's top seed.
Recently, in an interview with ESPN's Stephen A. Smith, the Minnesota star stirred up a bit of controversy with comments made regarding his battle with guys like Gilgeous-Alexander and Luka Doncic in the race to become the next face of the league, as he openly stated that he feels like he's "a better player, 100 percent" than both of them.
While he may have kept quiet during the weeks that followed these comments, the Oklahoma City centerpiece has officially broken his silence on the matter, as he clapped back at Edwards during an interview of his own with ESPN's Malika Andrews.
Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander claps back at Anthony Edwards
"I expected him to say that. I wouldn't have expected him to say one of us is better than him. The thing about NBA players, and especially guys that are that talented, [is that] we all believe that we're the best. We all believe that what we bring to the table is special and unique and he has every right to think so."Anthony Edwards
Closing off his comments on the friendly competition between him and guys like Edwards and Doncic, when asked by Andrews if he would consider himself the better player SGA responded with one word: "Absolutely!"
SGA with the go-ahead bucket 🥶 pic.twitter.com/tAadx319jQ
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) December 17, 2023
A frontrunner to take home the league's MVP award this season, the Thunder star has been absolutely electrifying with his play on both ends of the floor and, through 61 games played, is boasting sensational averages of 31.1 points, 6.5 assists, 5.6 rebounds, 2.1 steals, and 1.0 blocks while shooting 54.6 percent from the floor and 37.7 percent from deep.
On top of this, he's also been truly special when games have mattered the most, as he ranks second in the entire association in second-half points scored (950) while also cashing in on a top-ranked 58.8 percent shooting clip in the clutch.
Regardless of where he falls in the face race, it's undeniable that Oklahoma City fans are overjoyed with having a guy like Gilgeous-Alexander serve as their cornerstone. Hopefully, during this upcoming playoff run, he can further cement his status as one of the best players, both young and seasoned, the game currently has to offer.