With fans locking in their predictions on Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and how he will play in the upcoming 2025-26 season, there is another discussion on him being the face of the NBA. As the Thunder finished up their first week of preseason, Gilgeous-Alexander is no doubt ready to succeed once again this year, as he spoke about the competition around him regarding his rivals.
In an interview with GQ, Gilgeous-Alexander would be asked about who he considers his rivals, including one who could be Tyrese Haliburton of the Indiana Pacers. However, the 27-year-old star would focus more on the stars that he “grew up watching” that he is excited to face, like LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, James Harden, and others.
“Nothing against the guys my age,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “But the guys I can’t wait to match up against are the LeBrons, the Steph Currys, the KDs, the James Hardens. The guys I grew up watching, that have completely stamped themselves on basketball forever, that have accomplished the things I want from the game. There’s no better test to see if I’m capable of accomplishing those things than going against those guys.”
When asked if he considers Denver Nuggets' Nikola Jokic a rival due to both being top contenders for MVP, that is also inconclusive.
“He’s a center and I’m a point guard, so it’s hard to match up,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “Like back in the day, when Chris Paul and Dwight Howard were in their prime—they can compete, but they can’t match up, so it’s hard to tell [who’s better], right?”
Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on being the face of the NBA
While the Thunder guard even spoke about retiring before 40 years old, there are a lot of seasons for Gilgeous-Alexander to solidify his legacy, as last season saw him win his first championship, MVP, and put up an impressive stat line. It has been an ongoing debate about whether he's the face of the league, but he said that's up to “the world” to decide.
“You really can’t control who the face of the league is,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “The world has to decide it. There are billions of people who watch basketball, and they just have to gravitate towards you in that way.”
Last season, Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 32.7 points, 6.4 assists, and five rebounds per game while shooting 51.9 percent from the field. Oklahoma City's regular season starts on Oct. 21 against the Houston Rockets.
