Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: Inside a Canadian Superstar's 'More Than Basketball' Journey
Whoever said, “Never Meet Your Heroes,” obviously had the wrong heroes.
Walking through the doors of The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Ontario, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was about as close as you could get to a superhero.
For starters, he was tall. Any NBA player would be, but with his 6-foot-6 frame, Gilgeous-Alexander left children at SickKids — as the hospital is better known — with a stunned look on their face. One of pure joy. One of excitement.
He may not have been wearing a costume complete with a cape, or even his Oklahoma City jersey that he's donned for the last four seasons, but he didn't have to.
To the children at SickKids, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was his own kind of hero.
Photo provided by SickKids Foundation
"You could just see the absolute excitement and awe," SickKids CEO Jennifer Bernard said of the Oklahoma City Thunder star's visit. "For them, it was overwhelming. The room just kept filling and filling the entire time he was there."
Being a lifelong Canadian, Gilgeous-Alexander returned to his hometown that day. He got to give back — though he wouldn't see it that way — to his community, and not just to the kids, but the staff, too.
Bernard was a testament to that.
"He is a beacon of light for our whole country," Bernard said. "We all felt apart of the championship and the bronze medal when he helped Canada bring it home. That was special."
Gilgeous-Alexander's visit highlighted the part of his life that stretches beyond the basketball court. Not only did he get to go home, he got change lives while doing it, though that isn't anything new to him. To him, it's always been more than basketball.
And still just 25 years old, he's only continued to prove that.
From Canadian Roots
Two summers ago, Gilgeous-Alexander and the rest of the Canadian Men's National Team fell out of Olympic consideration.
It was July 2021, and now-Philadelphia 76ers coach Nick Nurse's squad failed to do what Canada had hoped it would: qualify. The last time it had happened was in 2000, and even then, that squad didn't make it past the quarterfinals.
But being eliminated didn't change anything about the Thunder star's loyalty and pride to his home country. During a Las Vegas meeting called by Nurse, Gilgeous-Alexander was the first to stand up and reiterate his commitment to playing and winning with Team Canada, not even letting Nurse finish his spiel.
“I just wanted to get out in front of the outside noise and let them know I’m here," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "I’m committed. Everything’s worked out, and I’ll be with the team going forward.”
But while Shai was committed to Team Canada in 2021, he would've been at any point throughout his life. His Canadian pride was something that Gilgeous-Alexander had possessed since he was little, growing up as an aspiring star in Hamilton, Ontario.
As a kid, he played for three different high school programs, to which he reasons was because of needing to play "better competition." Outside of that, he was born-and-raised by two parents who further instilled his competitive nature from a young age.
And by time Gilgeous-Alexander was ready to hit the college scene, he found himself at Kentucky, instantly sticking out as a top talent to coach John Calipari.
“When I first saw him, the length, the absolute stillness to his game… In other words there was no up-and-down — he just kept coming,” Calipari told Inside the Thunder. “His ability to finish at the rim, his floater — his jump shot needed just a little bit of work.”
Safe to say, that happened. Gilgeous-Alexander developed a solid jump shot along with his explosive first-step and strong defense. He ended up being a standout with the Wildcats, and later a top prospect in the NBA — drafted with the No. 11 pick of the 2018 draft.
Over the course of his four years in the league, he went from a prospect to a star. But while that's no easy feat in the NBA, Gilgeous-Alexander made it look that way. And when it came time for him to play for Team Canada again, that remained the case.
In fact, he became a hero again.
"[Shai] is a very special player," Team Canada coach Jordi Fernandez said. "He's gonna be one of the best NBA players ever, he's gonna be one of the best players in our program ever. He's got that killer instinct."
That killer instinct led to a bronze medal for Canada — marking its first medal since 2015 — which only furthered Gilgeous-Alexander's home pride.
"We're a part of history," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "It's something that's almost indescribable — so many people along the way have put in so much work for this program and having the opportunity to do so, we want to thank them and also represent them."
Little did Gilgeous-Alexander know, however, that part of his back-home supporters included a certain Children's Hospital CEO who admired him every step of the way.
"I followed Shai back when he was at Kentucky," Bernard said. "I used to run the Children's Hospital foundation in Hamilton [before SickKids] too ... so I've really known him since he was a teenager."
Photo provided by SickKids Foundation
So, seeing Gilgeous-Alexander was a full-circle moment for both Bernard and the Thunder star. Gilgeous-Alexander was proud — probably more than anyone else. Bernard was proud. The country was proud, too.
Suddenly, Team Canada's bronze medal wasn't just about basketball.
It's More Than That
When Gilgeous-Alexander walked through the doors of The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Ontario, he was a hero, a role model and a beacon of light.
He was 6-foot-6 and taller than everyone else in the room, but for nine-year-old Bella, that didn't matter. Gilgeous-Alexander was going to be her best friend.
"She was absolutely madly in love with him," Bernard said. "She's just full of life. She's has had over two dozen surgeries here at SickKids and literally spent her whole childhood [here], but she was so excited. She was asking him the most questions."
Photo provided by SickKids Foundation
The pair did end up forming a friendship during Gilgeous-Alexander's visit, as he gave her an autograph and took photos with her that were later featured in his Instagram post about the event. And as much as their time spent together meant for Bella, it also impacted Gilgeous-Alexander the same, if not more.
"It was a blessing to be able to meet the kids and brighten their day," Gilgeous-Alexander told Inside the Thunder. "They are the true definition of strength. Sharing the medal with them was a proud experience."
Gilgeous-Alexander isn't new to "giving back," as he's supported and been involved with multiple charities throughout his professional career, most notably his "Kicks for a Cause" event in Oklahoma City last December. But his SickKids visit was different.
If there was any added pressure because of the hometown aspect of it, Gilgeous-Alexander handled it well, silencing any doubts or worries that Bernard and the rest of the hospital staff — who were also long-time fans — had about meeting him.
"It's always a little surreal when you meet your heroes," Bernard said. "And you always hope that they live up to your expectations. And I have to say, he exceeded all of our expectations. We've had a big idea of what he might be like, and he was even better."
Meeting Gilgeous-Alexander personally sits atop of the list for Bernard as far as exciting events during work goes, but what made it "better" was how Gilgeous-Alexander interacted with the children — Bella included.
One of her favorite parts, however, was watching him answer a panel of questions from SickKids' patients.
"They were into all his business," Bernard said with a laugh. "They were asking him about fashion, about his favorite outfit — which he said was the Met Gala — and [even] his favorite shoes."
No matter the questions, Gilgeous-Alexander answered engagingly.
"He was so good with the kids," Bernard said. "That's what I noticed. He was gentle and thoughtful and he listened to their questions."
"He really understand their adversity," she added. "He understands what these kids are going through and he understands that they endure so much. He really tapped into that with them ... he really treated them like they were special."
Photo provided by SickKids Foundation
If you asked any of Gilgeous-Alexander's past coaches, teammates or family, they'd tell you that comes as no surprise. The point guard has long-been praised for being a true teammate off of the court on top of his superstar on-court potential.
And as true as he is a teammate, he's a Canadian as well.
"He's a true Canadian," Bernard said. "When the children asked him where he wants to go the most, he said: 'I like being home the most.' His visit was like bringing together two wonderful icons together [between SickKids and Gilgeous-Alexander], and it was so special that he chose to come to us."
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has not only become one of the world's best basketball players ever in the last few years, but also a true inspiration for fans across the country — and he's proud of it because that's his story.
The Thunder star is 'more than basketball,' and will always strive to be.
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