Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is one of the players competing at NBA All-Star weekend and one of the standout contenders for season MVP.
Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is putting together a remarkable season, the best of his career.
Entering the All-Star break, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 32.5 points per game with a field goal percentage at 52.3 per cent.
His high-scoring rate and tremendous efficiency has made him a favorite for MVP, with only Nikola Jokic’s continued brilliance having the potential to swing the votes.
Heading into the All-Star game, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander took part in a press conference, and discussed his journey to becoming the player he is today.
The OKC star was asked about his love for mid-range shooting, an increasing rarity among today’s three-point focused stars. And he responded by saying he is simply modelling his own game on his inspirations.
Gilgeous-Alexander explained: “My favorite players growing up were Kobe Bryant and Allen Iverson. They shot a lot of mid-range.
“For me it was just part of the game. It was a skill set, a weapon, and I try to implement it in my game and I’ve done so.”
He was also asked about his experience and ambitions in OKC, a market Kevin Durant once left to achieve his goals.
Shai says he looks to LeBron James for inspiration, proving success can be delivered to ‘smaller market’ teams, as he proved in 2016, amid a run of four consecutive finals appearances for the team.
He said: “Yeah, it’s a smaller market, so naturally and organically it’s less attention, but if you’re good enough at basketball, attention will find you, and we’ve seen that over the years.
“LeBron was in Cleveland, and there was no problem because he was that good at basketball. So, it’s like, the market matters to a certain extent, but if you’re that good at basketball, it’ll figure itself out. That’s how I see it.”
With 1,720 points, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has the most of any player in the NBA this season. This points to his durability as much as his ability. The next player is Anthony Edwards on 1,483 points.
His performances have helped OKC to the top of the Western Conference with a 44-10 record, although their ability to compete in the post-season is still being questioned by analysts.
Shai simply wants to finish the regular season strongly to build momentum, commenting: “We have obviously a pretty good basketball team. We have a little bit more experience. We have an opportunity to, for sure, win an NBA championship.
“Now we’re going to have to earn it, just like the team that’s going to win it this year and the teams that’s won it in the past.
“You go in the playoffs and you need to be the best team for a couple months, and you’re not that unless you earn it throughout the season and throughout the playoffs.
“We’re more than halfway through the season, but it’s a long road and we’ve just got to keep getting better through the road and hopefully where we want to be at the end of it.”
