Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was an All-NBA First-Team selection in each of the previous two seasons, has finished second in MVP voting and led the Oklahoma City Thunder to the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference during the 2023-24 campaign. But this has really been his year. The superstar guard is expected to win the MVP award and could seize some more hardware by playoffs' end.

It is only natural that marketing campaigns would try to capitalize on his prominence. In an effort to promote the next “Jurassic World” film and the NBA postseason, a commercial featuring Gilgeous-Alexander dropped on Saturday. It should make quite an impression.

The Thunder cornerstone, or Gilgeousaurus as Scarlett Johansson's character refers to him, is digitally implanted into the jungle-like environment and towers above all else. He gives a simple warning to the helpless research team: “Run.” Pulling out all the stops, the ad fittingly ends with the Canadian species dunking a basketball high in the mountains as a Pterodactyl flies in the background.

Now that, as the kids call it, is pure cinema. Hoops and dinosaurs is the combination America has subconsciously been craving for a long time, and now it has arrived. While people will roll their eyes, this should at least stick in their brains as the July 2 release date draws closer.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Thunder look to terrorize the West

“Jurassic World Rebirth” aims to rejuvenate the classic franchise following the rather polarizing trilogy that starred Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard. Perhaps Academy Award nominee Scarlett Johansson, Oscar winner Mahershala Ali and the rest of the cast can win the passionate fan base over this summer.

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By the time the movie hits theaters, Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder hope to be polishing their first-ever Larry O'Brien Trophy. OKC's path to the NBA Finals, which should be more challenging than the massive 16-game gap in the Western Conference standings suggests, begins versus the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday afternoon.

Last year, the Thunder learned how arduous the postseason can be for a young team, as they fell to Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks in six games. They are wiser and deeper heading into the 2025 postseason. Even so, they will likely go as far as their best player can lead them.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander won the scoring crown with 32.7 points per game on 51.9 percent shooting and also averaged 6.4 assists, 5.0 rebounds and 1.7 steals. He and OKC will look to cap off their landmark campaign by securing the NBA's ultimate prize.

There are some skeptics who expect the Thunder's youth to befall them again, particularly if they run into a seasoned team like the Los Angeles Lakers or Golden State Warriors. But when evaluating this group's playoff prospects, one must remember an important thing.

SGA finds a way.