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It has been nearly a month since the Oklahoma City Thunder won the 2025 NBA Finals, defeating Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers in the championship series that went to the hill and finished in seven games.
But the celebration continues for the team and its members, including none other than superstar point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who added an NBA ring to his already memorable 2024-25 NBA campaign, in which he also won the Most Valuable Player Award.
The championship parade is over in Oklahoma City but there's another city north of the border that will celebrate the achievements made by the former Kentucky Wildcats star in the recently concluded NBA campaign.
Hamilton, the Canadian city in Ontario where Gilgeous-Alexander grew up and attended high school at St. Thomas More Catholic Secondary School and Sir Allan MacNab Secondary School, will be honoring the reigning NBA MVP in August by giving him the key to the city, according to Justin Chandler of CBC. The event will be held at Hamilton Stadium on Aug. 7.
“[Hamilton] laid the foundation not only for who I am as a basketball player, but for the man I've become. I wouldn't be who I am today without this city, and I'm deeply grateful for the continued love and support,” Gilgeous-Alexander said in the news release on Monday.
Interestingly enough, the last person to get the key to the city was Steven James Williams, better known as Stone Cold Steve Austin. The pro wrestling legend received his key to Hamilton in September of 1998 — just months after Gilgeous-Alexander was born.
“This is an opportunity for the community to come together to celebrate Shai's incredible achievements and Hamilton pride. The Shai Rally Day serves as a powerful reminder of the potential within our community, inspiring the next generation of athletes, dreamers and leaders,” said the city in a statement.
Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder won a total of 68 games during the 2024-25 season. They swept the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the NBA Playoffs, outlasted the Denver Nuggets in the second round and humbled the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference Finals before beating the Pacers in the NBA Finals.
