Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has made the leap into NBA Superstardom. Over the past calendar year, the OKC Thunder star has answered a lot of questions. It was just some 15 months ago that the Thunder faithful were wondering if Gilgeous-Alexander could be an All-Star, or even better, a true number one option.
Fast forward and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has finished fifth in MVP voting, made the All-NBA First-Team, earned his first All-Star nod, and is averaging 30 points per game for the second consecutive season.
Along with his NBA success, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was the leader of a historic Team Canada team at the 2023 FIBA World Cup. Gilgeous-Alexander brought home the Bronze Medal after knocking off Team USA in that contest and looking like the best player on the floor in each matchup.
Earning a Bronze Medal was historic for Team Canada, and now, through the first 20 games of the NBA season, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is in the thick of the MVP race with the OKC Thunder sitting as the 2nd seed in the Western Conference.
Representing for Hamilton 🫡
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) December 11, 2023
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander wins Northern Star Award as Canada’s athlete of the year 🇨🇦 pic.twitter.com/IRCDdxCrpq
The Oklahoma City Thunder saw Shai Gilgeous-Alexander take home the Northern Star Award, an honor given to the Athlete of the Year in Canada. This is a huge honor for Gilgeous-Alexander as the Canadian Athlete base grows larger every year across all sports.
This season, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 30 points, five rebounds, six assists, a league-best 2.8 steals, and a block per game. Gilgeous-Alexander shoots 54 percent from the floor, 34 percent from beyond the arc, and 91 percent at the charity stripe.
The Northern Star Award has been handed out since 1936 and has seen notable previous winners: Bobby Orr, Ferguson Jenkins, Wayne Gretzky, Larry Walker, and Joey Votto.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is just the second basketball player to take home the Northern Star Award, with legendary NBA Guard Steve Nash being the first NBAer to take home the honor back in 2005.
Steve Nash, who is a Hall of Fame guard and is considered the best Canadian basketball player, averaged 15 points, 11 assists, three rebounds, and a steal per game while shooting 50 percent from the floor, 43 percent from beyond the arc, and 88 percent at the charity stripe.
That season, Steve Nash won the NBA's Most Valuable Player award, the first of two in his career. Nash has not been shy in crowning Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as potentially the new greatest Canadian Basketball Player of All Time.