OKC Thunder Star Speaks on Market Size: ‘Can’t See A World Where I’m Not in OKC’

Following a loss to Cleveland, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander opened up about market size in the NBA.

Jan 8, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) reacts during the second half against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images / Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

On Wednesday evening, the unstoppable force that is the Oklahoma City Thunder met the immovable object in the Cleveland Cavaliers, with the latter coming out with a 129-122 win.

Cleveland’s win snapped a 15-game run from OKC, moving their own streak to 11 in a row.

Still, the matchup offered a variety of fun angles. East versus West, top offense against top defense, and a high profile showdown for two small-market teams.

The game was one of the more highly anticipated all season, featuring some seldom-seen streaks and unprecedented play, and was marketed league-wide as such. Despite both team’s success this season, there’s little doubt that a few other teams have been in the spotlight more than both Oklahoma City and Cleveland.

When asked by clevelanddotcom’s Jimmy Watkins in postgame how much market size still matters, Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander offered some honest thoughts.

"I love Oklahoma City,” he said. “I can’t see a world where I’m not in OKC. Market, no market. I don’t care. I love where I am. … I go to work everyday with a smile on my face. The money doesn’t matter to a certain extent. As long as I enjoy what I'm doing at a very high level, love the people that I'm around doing it, market doesn't matter to me."

Shai, asked by @JimmyWatkins95 if market size still matters to stars: "I love Oklahoma City. I can’t see a world where I’m not in OKC. Market, no market. I don’t care. I love where I am. … I go to work everyday with a smile on my face. The money doesn’t matter to a certain…

— Joel Lorenzi (@jxlorenzi) January 9, 2025

There’s likely no better reassurance than that for Thunder fans, as SGA is cruising to another top-five MVP finish with over 30 points, 6.0 assists and 5.6 rebounds per game so far this season.

Even with the Wednesday loss, the Thunder have a comfortable lead in the West, and will look to compete for a long time with Gilgeous-Alexander at the helm.

---

Want to join the discussion? Like Thunder on SI on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Thunder news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.