Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was the 11th overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. The point guard was selected by the Charlotte Hornets and then traded to the Los Angeles Clippers.
The Clippers traded Gilgeous-Alexander to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the offseason of 2019 in the blockbuster Paul George trade. OKC has won that deal in a landslide.
Los Angeles never reached the NBA Finals with George, who now plays for the Philadelphia 76ers, while the Thunder are in this year's NBA Finals.
Gilgeous-Alexander has established himself as a superstar with the Thunder. He has made three All-Star teams and three All-NBA teams.
SGA, 26, won this year's NBA MVP award after leading the league in scoring (32.7 points per game).
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander didn't want to go to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander didn't want to go to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
Back in 2018, the Cleveland Cavaliers wanted to draft Gilgeous-Alexander with the eighth overall pick, but the Kentucky Wildcats product told them he didn't want to play for them.
"He made himself a lottery pick to the point that Cleveland wanted to draft him," John Calipari, who coached SGA in college, said on "Golic & Golic." "And he said, ‘No, I’m not going to Cleveland.’
"I was at the table. I’m like, ‘What are you doing?’ And he ends up going to the Clips. I watched him in a playoff game. That’s when I knew he was going to be in this league a long time.”
Brian Windhorst of ESPN reported in 2018 that Gilgeous-Alexander informed Cleveland not to draft him.
The Cavaliers wound up drafting Alabama's Collin Sexton, who now plays for the Utah Jazz.
It's unknown why Gilgeous-Alexander didn't want to play for the Cavaliers. NBA legend LeBron James left Cleveland for the Los Angeles Lakers in the offseason of 2018, but he signed with the Lakers after the 2018 NBA draft.
Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder are down 2-1 to the Indiana Pacers in this year's NBA Finals. Game 4 is on Friday in Indiana.