The Oklahoma City Thunder are rapidly growing as a young, high-potential team in the NBA and this is in large part thanks to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The 25-year-old elevated his play to an All-Star and All-NBA level a season ago, which put Oklahoma City, a team many thought would finish near the bottom of the standings, right on the verge of making the playoffs.

They ultimately fell in the play-in tournament, but the Thunder are now on everyone's radar entering the 2023-24 season. Aside from their success last year, Gilgeous-Alexander is also putting the Thunder on notice due to his contributions for Team Canada at the 2023 FIBA World Cup.

The young star has been one of the best players in the world this summer and following Wednesday's victory over Slovenia, Canada is now in the semifinals with a chance to compete for the gold medal on the line. Ahead of this recent victory, Canadian basketball legend and NBA Hall of Famer Steve Nash spoke with SportsNet about the success of the national team and Gilgeous-Alexander's leadership.

“I mean, he’s got it, right? He [Gilgeous-Alexander] has the game, the feel, the understanding of his responsibility in the moment,” Nash stated. “It’s just a beautiful thing when you have a player like that in your arsenal.”

Following their quarterfinals victory, Gilgeous-Alexander is now averaging 25.0 points per game during this summer's tournament and he is the main reason why Canada has qualified for the Olympic Games.

“He’s one of my favorite players and keeps getting better,” Nash continued. “It’s going to be fun to watch him play the rest of his career and continue to play in a Canada jersey as long as possible.”

As Gilgeous-Alexander prepares for his final two games of the offseason with the Canadian national team, he is also preparing for his sixth NBA season. The strides he has made in his game to become one of the best isolation scorers in the league is very impressive. Now, Gilgeous-Alexander has a chance to do something very special this upcoming year.

After finishing fourth in the league in scoring (31.4 PPG) and total points (2,135) during the 2022-23 season, Gilgeous-Alexander has a chance to compete for the league's MVP award. He's undeniably the face of the Thunder and he has become a household name for NBA fans across the world.

Nash, who coached the Brooklyn Nets from 2020 to 2022, faced off against Gilgeous-Alexander multiple times. He has seen first-hand what the All-Star is capable of. The bond they share together through the Canadian national team is what makes his comments on Oklahoma City's guard so special.