OKC Thunder Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Builds Perfect Player Ahead of Olympics

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander dished his basketball knowledge during a Team Canada media session.

Jul 10, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Canada guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) looks to make a pass against USA forward Anthony Davis (14) in the first quarter in the USA Basketball Showcase at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-USA TODAY Sports / Candice Ward-USA TODAY Sports

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Team Canada have a big few weeks ahead. The Thunder star will try to lead his country to unprecedented Olympic heights, and he has a talented supporting cast behind him.

It hasn’t been strictly business, though, as Gilgeous-Alexander has been having some fun with the media. This week, he created his perfect basketball player with the attributes of some of the NBA’s best. He gave a few shoutouts to current and former Thunder players, too. He was asked a series of questions about the perfect player for each category.

Gilgeous-Alexander gave the scoring nod to Kobe Bryant, who he has been complimentary of his entire career. For passing, he went with Andrew Nembhard who he plays with on Team Canada. Nembhard also inked a nice new deal to stay with the Pacers. For defense, Gilgeous-Alexander unsurprisingly chose his Thunder teammate Lu Dort, who has a reputation for being one of the NBA’s best on-ball defenders. He slotted his former teammate and mentor, Chris Paul, in for game I.Q. And last, he chose LeBron James for athleticism.

SGA has already notched a few highlight performances for Team Canada, including a massive game in an exhibition win over Team France. He carved up the Victor Wembanyama-led team by pouring in 23 points, five rebounds and five assists. He also didn’t record a single turnover.

Over the years, Gilgeous-Alexander’s game has translated perfectly to the FIBA level, and his smooth game has been impossible to stop — just like it is in the NBA.

After back-to-back 30-point seasons, leading the league in steals, and finishing second in MVP voting, Gilgeous-Alexander was being humble not picking himself for any categories.

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