From the outset, head coach Mark Daigneault says Oklahoma City Thunder All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander knew who he was destined to be in the NBA. It was inevitable. Gilgeous-Alexander is driven to surpass Kobe Bryant, which, for some, makes sense after winning his first championship. However, for Daigneault, none of this comes as a surprise for Shai.
Daigneault believes Gilgeous-Alexander knew all along and that the NBA's reigning MVP has already shifted his focus to the next goal, Thunder's head coach said, per GQ's Yang-Yi Goh.
“The trend with Shai is that he always knew before any of us,” says Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault. “He has always had a very clear vision for himself of not only where he wants to go, but what he needs to do next.”
In a season where Gilgeous-Alexander earned his third consecutive All-Star selection, he won the scoring title, was voted MVP, and earned Finals MVP while leading the Thunder to its first championship. Now, he'll look to return to the NBA Finals in 2026.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on Thunder's opponents' trash talk
Thunder All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander revealed that trash-talking is rare whenever he's on the floor, as his quiet demeanor is strictly business without any chatter, as he noted, via his GQ interview.
“Guys don’t really talk shit to me,” he says. “I don’t do nothing that warrants talking s***. I go out there, I have 30, we win, I go home. I’m not out there doing crazy stuff.”
No confrontations for Gilgeous-Alexander, which could soon change in 2025-26 as the Thunder should get every team's best effort throughout the regular season. Still, Gilgeous-Alexander reminded everyone he's improving.
“I still feel there’s another level I can get to,” Shai says. “Every season you get better in the offseason, the NBA adjusts to that version of you, and then you learn something new. And that cycle just goes and goes and goes. As you go in your career, it becomes more mental. At this point, I know how to shoot from every spot on the floor and get the shot I want when I want it. It’s more about timing and having peak-level endurance, knowing when to use it, when to capitalize on a moment.”
Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder will raise their championship banner at the Paycom Center on October 21.
