“I never really doubted this moment. My whole life I always believed in myself and my abilities, in how hard I worked.
“(I) got a lot better and then went to Kentucky for college and just always worked throughout my career and that’s why I’m here today.”
The Clippers were sold and Gilgeous-Alexander appeared to be a key building block after averaging 10.8 points in his rookie season, along with strong defence.
But Kawhi Leonard wanted to come home and insisted Paul George had to come with him. That meant the Clippers reluctantly including Gilgeous-Alexander in a package to Oklahoma City for George to land Leonard, who was leaving Toronto, title in hand.
The move proved disastrous, even if nobody could have expected what would happen next.
Gilgeous-Alexander, at 21, nearly doubled his scoring average and kept averaging more, from 19, to 23.7, to 24.5 and then to 31.4 in 2022-23, when he became an NBA all-star for the first time, finished fifth in MVP voting, and made the All-NBA first team — the latter two achievements only previously accomplished by one other Canadian, Steve Nash.
By last season, Oklahoma City was an emerging force and finally a playoff threat. Gilgeous-Alexander finished second in MVP voting, averaged 30.1 points and vowed to learn from the team’s previous post-season ouster.
So far in 2024-25, he has emerged as the league’s MVP favourite — [while it is not yet official, ESPN reported Wednesday afternoon he has won the honour](https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/45256670/sources-thunder-shai-gilgeous-alexander-wins-nba-mvp) — after leading all players at 32.7 points per game and driving the Thunder to 68 wins, one of the highest totals in NBA history. The team also is the pick by most to win its first title since the franchise moved from Seattle.
Gilgeous-Alexander signed for five years and just shy of $180 million US in 2021 and it’s expected he will sign a new deal worth more than $300 million as soon as this summer to stay with the Thunder.
“I know what I signed up for when I signed a five-year extension,” Gilgeous-Alexander said after signing his deal coming off a 24-win season. “I don’t think we’re gonna be losing for much longer. I believe in this team.”
Gilgeous-Alexander always has taken a lot of pride in representing Canada. As the leader of the 2023 World Cup and 2024 Olympic teams, he helped elevate the program to new heights.
Though the Olympic run fell short of a medal thanks to a loss against France after strong earlier play (the same fate that befell Nash and his team at the Olympics in 2000), the summer before, Gilgeous-Alexander had led Canada to a historic bronze medal which was earned by beating the powerhouse United States in the third-place game.
Canada will try to get on the Olympic podium in 2028 in Los Angeles.