‘Championship or Brust’: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander wants more than MVP in OKC this season

Giannis Antetokounpo He had one request before the All-Star game in February.

“Just shake my hand,” Antetokounpo said Shai Gilgeous-Alexander While they were in the locker room. “I just want some aura.”

Antetokounpu, two-way MVP, then bounced around the federal room, imitating Oklahoma City Thunder Superstar. Moved with an unmistakable mist. It turns twice to drill basketball, step back to the left leg, hesitate, then shoot from the jumper.

Gilgeous-Alexander laughed at the play.

All eyes are on Gilgeous Alexandra this season, even in the room filled with some of the biggest league stars. Anthony Edwards called him “MVP NBA” after scoring 40 points in winning Minnesota on the New Year.

The fan even asked for Gilgeous-Alexander to sign his baby earlier this season.

Gilgeous-Alexander transformed from a player who neglected most of his career into completely blowing superstar. He is in two horse races with Nikola Jokić for the MVP award and led the Thunderstorm in the Western Conference with a record of 56-12.

But for him, there was nothing of that.

“Championship or bust,” said Gilgeous-Alexander in an exclusive interview with Sports Fox. “If we don’t win, it’s a failure.”

In many ways, Gilgeous-Alexander is the perfect superstar for lightning, whose culture is built around the first mentality. It usually works its interviews on the postgame television together with your teammates, which is a sharp contrast of the norm. And often deserves them for his success.

In fact, his meteoric ascension followed, one thing caught the attention of those around him more than his nasty statistics.

He didn’t change much.

“Throughout this increase, he was exactly the same guy,” Thunder Coach Mark Daigneault said. “If nothing else, it became affordable and more modified with your teammates … (Superstars), just of course. It is not their fault. If the world is separated.” If the intention remains in the team. “

Gilgeous-Alexander takes care of basketball, his family and fashion. He wants to win the championship and wants to look good while it works. Everything else is compared, including the MVP award.

In fact, in question whether he deserves him this season, he advocated himself, but he stopped the answering inquiry.

“I’ve always felt like I was one of the best players in the league,” said Gilgeous-Alexander Fox Sport. “Very confident in my game. Very confident in how hard I work. I think I’m going out there and show it at night.”

He promotes himself much louder in court.

This season, the 26-year-old guard leads the League in scoring, on average about 33 career points at 52.6 percent shooting, in addition to 5.0 jumps and 6.2 assists. He put at least 40 points 11 times this season and at least 50 points four times.

But don’t think it was easy. Gilgeous-Alexander had to fight for this moment.

They did not insert their basketball basketball high school as freshmen. He was the seventh ranked seven recruits signed in Kentuckia in 2017. years and the only among them who had no five star rating. Then, the Clipters He worked him in Thunder for Paul George 2019. After only one season in Los Angeles.

At each step, he proved to be greatly underestimated.

At Kentucky, Gilgeous-Alexander became the best player for wild cats. With sliders, he ran the way into the starting lineup in the middle during his Rookie Season. And last season, even George, the ninth timely all star, admitted after the game against Oklahom City that the Thunder “won these trade”, given the pastries on five round voters and future MVP candidates.

But still, Gilgeous-Alexander is easier to praise with his teammates but I am. Some could be suspicious that the man that is at the top of the league and comfortable modeling in the lower shoulder for the Skims brand Kim Kardashiana can be so down on earth.

He owes it to his parents, especially his mother, Charmaigne, who once called coaching staff in Kentucky, when he started great, inviting them to alleviate his excitement so that his head was not too big.

“My parents always made sure we understand, no matter who you are or what you are doing, you are not better or worse than anyone,” said Gilgeous-Alexander said Fox sports. “I guess it’s just a guy I’m. No. I need teammates. So there’s no reason I don’t need me. So there’s no reason I don’t need me. So there’s no reason I don’t need me.”

It also helps that Gilgeous-Alexander spends six of his seven seasons with a bushes, which is one of the few organizations in the NBA, which puts emphasis on a superstar. Chet Holmgren He believes that the thunder had happiness in finding a leader who is so perfectly suitable for their culture.

“If you’re not a good person, you don’t end up playing for Thunder,” Holmgren said. “He’s for it because he has every chance to act, but he wants everything he wants because you really don’t do it. But he doesn’t do it. But he doesn’t work. But he doesn’t.

Regarding the store that sent him to the thunder? It is still an inflamed place for the organization of the slider. But little thought it would be developed this.

It is interesting that one of the first people who believed in him was the former NBA Great Jerry West, who served as a consultant for Clippers before he died 2024. Years. The west encouraged the team to trade for Gilgeous-Aleksandar, the same day Charlotte, the draft is Draft 2018. years.

West, well known, has a sharp eye to recognize talent, including a trafficking orchestrating that brought a rough young star named Koba Briant in Lakeholders in 1996. years.

During the Rookie Season Gilgeus-Aleksander with sliders, he developed in a promising young player. But even former Cooler Clippers Doc Rivers did not hesitate when they asked if he thought Gilgeous-Alexander would grow into a superstint.

“I’d like to lie and absolutely say,” said the rivers, adding that only one person within the organization really predicts its potential. “(Auxiliary coach) I Cassell was the highest (on myself). He said from 1. Dana, he was not in favor of trade as well as a strong way.”

Things are worked out for the Grom and Gilgeous-Alexander.

Thunder helped unlock the Gilgeous-Alexander game, puting perfect pieces around you. In 2019, Lu Dort signed, which is a strong shooter with 3 points and a wing defender. In 2022. the qualified central Chet Homgren (No 2) and two-way sensations were compiled Jalen Williams (No. 12). And last summer, the veterans of Hartenstein and Alex Caruso.

Now Thunder transformed from the restored franchise in the right candiders.

Meanwhile, Gilgeous-Alexander has grown into a change in change tempo, Elite Playmaker, artistic shooter and a solid defense counsel, which seemingly pirouettes about the defense of the mixture of speed and agility.

Gilgeous-Alexander believes he landed in a perfect place. Although it is contrary to the idea that if he played somewhere else, things would play differently for him.

“I think I would become the one I’m whatever,” said Gilgeous-Aleksandar Fox Sport. “I think it’s no matter where I’m thrown in my whole career, remember, I always focused on developing, I always thought. So I always thought. So I was always fine.”

Gilgeous-Aleksander’s Longime coach, Olin Simplis, echoed. In fact, if nothing else believes that Gilgeus-Alexander would become the name of the household, if he stayed in Los Angeles, because he would have more eyes. He claimed that Gilgeous-Alexandra achieved in radar, especially last season.

“He had no other star or an all-NBA player next to him and they were no. 1 in the west,” said Simplis about Thunder. “He should go for a back, honest.”

(2024-25 NBA MVP quotas: SGA runs away from Jokic)

Simplis, who started working with Gilgeous-Alexander after his freshman year in Kentucky, said he immediately recognized it was destined for size.

He visited how when Gilgeous-Alexander was 19, he continually messed up as he was trying to do Sideestep who followed the departure. Three straight days Gilgeous-Alexander arrived at the gym at 6 am, moving before he added it to his arsenal.

The second time, Simplis organized a free throw competition with the outlook, with the winner receiving $ 20. To date, Simplis still thinks of the intensity in which Gilgeous-Alexander approached the exercise.

“He’s just one of those kids, tell him one thing, he’ll do it,” Simplis said. “It will do it until he has mastered it. His way of thinking is in a pair of stories you hear about Kobe Briant.”

Everything was elaborated for Gilgeus-Alexander, which grew from a teenager who did not make his high school team to be in pleasure to become the future face of the league.

But even though he avoided became a big head, he was also not one for false humility.

When you are asked to think on his trip, he couldn’t help, but they flash a wide smile and shake his head in disbelief.

“He inspires himself just to see how far I came,” he said.

Melissa Rohlin is a writer of NBA for Fox Sports. She has previously covered the league for illustrated sports, The Los Angeles Times, news about the flow in the Gulf San Antonio Express-West. Follow it on Twitter @Melissarohl.

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