OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma City Thunder All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander spoke highly about how head coach Mark Daigneault has impacted him and the rest of his teammates. It’s what makes him an elite head coach. After Daigneault revealed Gilgeous-Alexander’s ascension into stardom, Shai explained how Mark gets the best from his players.
For Gilgeous-Alexander, it’s a ripple effect from top to bottom. He revealed how Daigneault influences his players despite never wanting to receive credit for it.
“Coach hates credit. He hates anything besides competition in basketball, and that purity from him sets the tone for us as a group,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “A lot of the time, you guys ask how we are so close, how we are so connected. Him being our head coach and being the leader he is; he’s so humble and so down to earth, it trickles down for sure. As far as coaching the game of basketball, I think we all can say he’s really, really good at it.
“He not only is really good with the x’s and o’s, he’s good personally, he’s good tactically, he’s balsy in situations when he needs to be, he’s not afraid of the moment; he’s always looking for ways to get better. Above all, he empowers every single player that plays for him, and I think that’s the biggest thing you want from a coach: your coach to believe in you and believe in your game. So, that when you go out there, you can be the best version of yourself,” Gilgeous-Alexander concluded.
Daigneault continued to do the same this season with this year’s rookies.
“He’s done that all the way down from me to guys that were here that aren’t here to the rookies in Ajay and Dillon,” Gilgeous-Alexander added. “He’s steady across the board.”
Mark Daigneault on how Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leads Thunder
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Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) and head coach Mark Daigneault talk during a time out against the New Orleans Pelicans during the second quarter at Paycom Center
Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
While Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton was endorsing him for MVP, Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault revealed how Shai Gilgeous-Alexander emerged into a top candidate while leading his Thunder team to title contenders.
Daigneault told reporters how he observed a young Gilgeous-Alexander blossom into a star.
“At that time, he’s a young player, he’s in his second year; your scope as a player is narrow when you’re in your second year. You’re just trying to stay in the NBA, establish yourself, figure out how good you are. You tend to be tight,” Daigneault said. “Over time, he’s just widened that lens to where now I think he sees almost everything through a team lens.”
The Thunder will host the Bulls on Monday.