Today, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder is one of the most talked-about and respected players in the NBA.
But only a few years ago, he was just a young rookie looking to make a name for himself with the Los Angeles Clippers.
The team gave up on him and traded him away, and Gilgeous-Alexander hasn’t forgotten that.
He says that he still gets fired up playing against his former team.
“The Clippers came into town and I would be lying to you if I tell you I didn’t get up to play the Clippers every time, for obvious reasons… I wanted to make sure when it’s all said and done, OKC won the trade,” Gilgeous-Alexander said.
Shai:
“The Clippers came into town and I would be lying to you if I tell you I didn't get up to play the Clippers every time, for obvious reasons… I wanted to make sure when it’s all said and done, OKC won the trade.”
(h/t @CAlmanza1007)pic.twitter.com/VTsLlhU27z
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) October 17, 2025
During his sole season with the Clippers, Gilgeous-Alexander put up 10.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 3.3 assists.
He gained a lot of attention as a rookie, and most teams would have held onto him.
But when Los Angeles had a chance to get Paul George from the Thunder, they went for it and created one of the most memorable and questionable trades of all time.
With that, Gilgeous-Alexander came to OKC along with a ton of future draft picks.
The rest, as they say, is history, and it helped put the Thunder on the path they are on now.
Since then, Gilgeous-Alexander has become the most important player for his team, earning MVP, Finals MVP, and more.
He is a huge reason why they are now champions, attempting to win back-to-back titles.
Gilgeous-Alexander understands why the Clippers sent him away, but he obviously hasn’t forgotten.
They turned him into the player he is now, in more ways than one.
NEXT: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Has Joined Elite Company