During the NBA All-Star Weekend, Oklahoma City Thunder Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who was set to start in his first All-Star Game, generated some buzz, with retired guard Stephon Marbury calling the 25-year old combo guard the best player in NBA history to hail from Canada. However, Gilgeous-Alexander, as accepting as he was of the compliment, knows he has a long way to go before he can claim that distinction.

Speaking to reporters in Indianapolis, the Thunder star conceded that Steve Nash, one of the best playmakers in league history and a spiritual predecessor to Stephen Curry with how well he shot the basketball, remains the best Canadian player in history.

“I appreciate it but Steve [Nash] is still ahead of me. Imma try to catch him but he's still ahead of me,” Gilgeous-Alexander said, per HoopsHype via ClutchPoints Twitter.

The talk of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander being the best basketball player that Canada has produced is a bit premature. Props to the Thunder star for acknowledging it without feeling the need to disparage himself in the process.

But the Steve Nash disrespect is a bit jarring, especially coming from Stephon Marbury, one of the former Phoenix Suns star's contemporaries. Marbury should know, more than most people, how big of a problem Nash was to defend back in his day. There's a reason Nash won two MVPs during a time where Kobe Bryant was playing out of his mind, Tim Duncan was as solid as ever, and Shaquille O'Neal was still playing at a high level.

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Nash's marksmanship was elite, especially during an era where analytics haven't yet made the three-point shot a huge priority on every possession. Moreover, his elite playmaking pushed the Suns' offense back then to historic levels. Credit must go to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for acknowledging just how stellar of a career Nash had and despite how well he's been playing for the Thunder, he still has a ways to go before he can usurp Nash on the all-time ladder.

Nonetheless, if the Thunder star continues to play at his current level for the next decade, he should be able to create for himself a strong argument for being Canada's basketball GOAT.