Cousins Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nickeil Alexander-Walker will face off in the Western Conference Finals, with SGA saying, "He's like my second brother, but I'm gonna try to take his head off."
The Oklahoma City Thunder secured their spot in the Western Conference Finals on Sunday with a dominant 125–93 victory over the Denver Nuggets in Game 7.
3-pointers this season
Oklahoma City Thunder
NBA
In the conference finals, the Thunder will face the Minnesota Timberwolves, setting up a unique matchup between MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and a member of his own family.
Gilgeous-Alexander is cousins with Timberwolves guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and he shared his thoughts on the upcoming series.
"It'll be very fun," SGA said after the Game 7 win. "It's hard to even explain. If you know how close we are, he's like my second brother. He's been through every stage of life with me, from picking up a basketball, going to a prep school, to making the NBA.
Credit Image – Scanpix
"We've gone through every situation together. For both of us to be where we are is special. To compete against each other is even more special.
"But I'm gonna try to take his head off, for sure. Completely," Gilgeous-Alexander added with a smile.
Both players grew up in the Toronto area and were even Hamilton Heights Christian Academy teammates.
Though their paths diverged in college, they reunited on the Canadian national team, winning a bronze medal at the 2023 FIBA World Cup and competing together at the Paris Olympics last summer.
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