Ty Lue Offers High Praise for OKC Thunder Star Compares Him to 'Greats'

The Oklahoma City Thunder saw Shai Gilgeous-Alexander make NBA history on Monday against the LA Clippers. Before the game even tipped, Ty Lue compared Gilgeous-Alexander to an NBA great.
Nov 6, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) during the first quarter against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
Nov 6, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) during the first quarter against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The Oklahoma City Thunder saw their superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander carry them to a win on Monday over the LA Clippers. in their first game without rising star Chet Holmgren, who will miss a large chunk of the regular season due to a hip injury, Gilgeous-Alexander made NBA history.

In that contest, Gilgeous-Alexander set a new career high posting 45 points while adding nine assists, three rebounds, two blocks and five assists in the Thunder's win.

Even before the game tipped, Clippers sideline pacer Ty Lue offered high praise for the OKC Thunder star.

"As a younger player, you can tend to get out of control or try to get my points," Lue said before the game. "He knows it's going to come to him the style they play, he knows the ball's going to come back. He allows other guys to get going, allows other guys that he trusts with the basketball [to score early].

The Clippers bench boss continued to rave about Gilgeous-Alexander even going as far as to compare him to arguably the best player of all time, Michael Jordan.

"But he knows that at any point in time he can take over the game. He reminds you a lot of the greats like [Michael] Jordan."

Comparing him to Jordan is the highest compliment you can give the Thunder's MVP candidate, but as the NBA world is catching up to Gilgeous-Alexander's historic game it fits. The still just 26 year old continues to improve his game each season.


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.


Published
Rylan Stiles
RYLAN STILES

Rylan Stiles is a credentialed media member covering the Oklahoma City Thunder. He hosts the Locked On Thunder Podcast, and is Lead Beat Writer for Inside the Thunder. Rylan is also an award-winning play-by-play broadcaster for the Oklahoma Sports Network.