NEW ORLEANS – Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was expecting the worst when it ended up being between him and two-time NBA MVP Stephen Curry for the final starting guard spot among Western Conference All-Stars. Instead of asking for a heads-up on the result, Gilgeous-Alexander preferred to learn the verdict from live TV just like any other NBA fan.
“So, that just leaves us one more All-Star starter in the backcourt,” Ernie Johnson, host of Inside the NBA on TNT, said calmly on Jan. 25. “Starting guard … Joining Luka Dončić in the backcourt. Shai … Gilgeous… Alexander.”
The two-time NBA All-Star was named a first-time starter for the 2024 NBA All-Star Game on Feb. 18 in Indianapolis.
“With selection stuff like that and awards, I don’t like for people to tell me before,” Gilgeous-Alexander told Andscape after scoring 31 points in a 107-83 road win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Jan. 26. “I like to be surprised. I was excited. I thought Steph was going to get it. But I was excited.”
Elite success didn’t happen overnight. The Canadian was traded once by the LA Clippers and received his first All-Star starting nod in his sixth season. Entering Wednesday’s game against the defending champion Denver Nuggets, the slender 6-foot-6, 180-pounder was third in the NBA in scoring (31.1 points per game on 54.5% shooting) while adding 5.6 rebounds and 6.4 assists per game.
“This season he is having is nothing to take lightly …,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. “When you zoom out at what he has done this [season], and there is a lot of season left, it’s impressive. The thing that I’ve mentioned many times this season and go back to is he does it inside the team. His success impacts the whole and somehow creates space for other guys to elevate, improve and rock out a little bit.”
Through three fan voting returns, Gilgeous-Alexander was actually in third place in the West’s backcourt voting results behind Curry and the Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Dončić. But Gilgeous-Alexander jumped forward to surpass the widely popular Curry to land the final starting guard spot alongside Dončić after leading in media and player votes. Gilgeous-Alexander is the Thunder’s first All-Star Game starter since Paul George in 2019.
There’s still room for growth in terms of Gilgeous-Alexander’s popularity, as the 25-year-old wasn’t among the NBA’s top-selling jerseys for the first half of the season. But playing in small-market Oklahoma City has not kept NBA players, media and fans from viewing this exciting 25-year-old as a top-10 player in the league now.
“I’m sure there’s people on every team voting for him because there’s not a night where it’s like he wasn’t an All-Star,” Thunder forward Chet Holmgren said. “He brings it every night and that’s huge for us. He’s going to continue to do that for a long time.”
When asked about Gilgeous-Alexander’s All-Star starter selection, Thunder forward Jalen Williams simply said: “Duh! That’s all I got.”
Gilgeous-Alexander has checked NBA All-Star and starter off his list, but the elite NBA stars are always viewed by the success they have in the postseason. Such is still a work in progress for this Thunder star, but there is new hope in Oklahoma City.
Gilgeous-Alexander’s playoff experience includes two first-round exits and a 1-1 record in the NBA Play-In Tournament last season, but Oklahoma City had the Western Conference’s third-best record entering Wednesday at 32-15. The Thunder’s roster also includes Holmgren, a Rookie of the Year candidate, the…
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