In a pivotal game in early March, what began as a commanding 84-60 lead for the Oklahoma City Thunder over Kevin Durant`s Phoenix Suns, sparked by an 18-foot jumper from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, quickly evaporated. The Thunder, soaring unexpectedly as the top seed in the Western Conference thanks to their young core of Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, and Jalen Williams, seemed poised for an easy victory. The Suns, in stark contrast, were struggling, desperately fighting to stay within playoff contention.
With their season teetering, Durant ignited a fierce comeback with a three-pointer, swiftly followed by Grayson Allen. The Suns` onslaught continued relentlessly. For five agonizing minutes, the Thunder found themselves unable to respond, their once-insurmountable lead shrinking to just four points by the end of the third quarter. A mere minute into the final quarter, their advantage vanished entirely—a collapse typically seen from less experienced teams.
However, with 8:27 left in the fourth quarter and his team trailing by five, Gilgeous-Alexander re-entered the fray. With remarkable composure, he took control, engineering a dominant 18-5 run that ultimately led the Thunder to a decisive 118-110 victory. This crucial win allowed Oklahoma City to maintain its surprising position atop the Western Conference for a second consecutive day, an achievement few had predicted for the league`s second-youngest team.
The Thunder`s unexpected ascent this season is largely a testament to their 25-year-old MVP candidate, who consistently surpasses all expectations except his own. This particular game, defined by his clutch performance where he scored 11 of his game-high 35 points in the final six minutes, vividly illustrates an improbable two-decade journey. This path originated in Hamilton, Ontario, continued through collegiate play in Kentucky, and eventually led to the NBA, where Gilgeous-Alexander has meticulously planned, practiced, and auditioned to become one of the sport`s truly elite players. “It`s been the story of my life,” Gilgeous-Alexander reflected. “I`ve always just gotten better.”
His rise was far from conventional. He didn`t secure a spot on his high school`s varsity team as a freshman, nor did he enter the starting lineup until midway through his freshman season in college or as an NBA rookie. The Thunder themselves did not anticipate this level of stardom when they acquired him in 2019 as part of the trade that sent Paul George to the LA Clippers, a move that initiated their rapid rebuild.
This season, Gilgeous-Alexander has showcased significant improvements across various aspects of his game: his scoring (30.4 PPG, third in the NBA), defense (a league-leading 2.1 steals per game), and his growing mastery in controlling and winning crucial games, perfectly exemplified by his clutch heroics against the Suns.
“It`s a mentality,” Gilgeous-Alexander explained. “The skill stuff I just hammer away at. But what makes a great player is how they carry that to the court. How they control fourth quarters and win games. LeBron [James] is LeBron because for 20-some odd years he`s controlled games.” Unlike James, who was famously hailed as “The Chosen One” at 15, Gilgeous-Alexander was never publicly destined for greatness. Yet, he insists he always believed he would reach this level, a conviction deeply instilled by his mother.
The Guiding Hand: Influence of Chris Paul and Charmaine Gilgeous
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander`s most profound mentor was an individual he played with for a mere 17 months: Chris Paul. Immediately upon Gilgeous-Alexander`s arrival in Oklahoma City, Paul recognized qualities that mirrored his own: an unwavering commitment to routine, an almost compulsive eye for detail, and a remarkable long-term vision. That year, Gilgeous-Alexander frequently visited Paul`s condominium, eager to absorb wisdom from one of basketball`s all-time great point guards. They trained together, shared breakfasts and dinners, attended G League games, and spent hours discussing basketball.
“Shai is just a basketball junkie,” Paul shared. “Even now, we might be on the phone watching a game, just talking about what we see.” Before elaborating further on his close bond with a player he now considers family, Paul paused. “You cannot write this story without talking to his mom,” he insisted. “Hold on. I`ll call her.” He then connected her into the conversation.
“You OK?” Charmaine Gilgeous asked Paul, assuming his call during the season might signal an issue. Their bond has deepened over the years, to the point where she makes it a priority to attend Paul`s games in Toronto regardless of which team he plays for. Paul reassured her, emphasizing his desire to highlight her crucial role in raising her son.
Charmaine Gilgeous describes herself as “a sprinter,” referring not just to her participation in the 400 meters at the 1992 Summer Olympics for Antigua and Barbuda, but to a deeper underlying mentality. “I never ran anything over 400 meters,” she explained. “That means I know what the goal is, and I don`t do anything until I get the goal. That`s how I`m orientated. And I knew I needed my kids to be like this. I had to raise them that way.”
As a social worker, she often didn`t earn much, leading to frequent family moves and constant financial pressures. “No matter how horrible a situation looked, if I had to cry or scream, I would wait until they went to bed,” she revealed. “They would never see me sweat. They would never see me frustrated.” This unwavering composure, Gilgeous-Alexander affirms, is the direct source of his discipline and his unflappable demeanor on the court. “If you know his mom,” Paul stated, “you know him.”
The “Window-Shopping” Philosophy and Vision
Since its grand opening in 1979, the Holt Renfrew store on Bloor Street in Toronto has been a premier destination for those seeking to impress. This vast, multi-level department store, featuring marble floors and hundreds of luxury designers, became an unconventional classroom for Charmaine Gilgeous and her sons, Shai and Thomasi. She would take them there for “window-shopping” afternoons, leisurely dreaming about the future life they could achieve through diligent effort and unwavering focus on their aspirations.
While her initial goal was to guide her boys toward college and stable careers, she never stifled their ambitious dreams of becoming the next Kobe Bryant, Cristiano Ronaldo, or Kevin Durant. These Saturday window-shopping excursions became a cherished routine: 45 minutes each way on the subway, dressed in polo shirts and slacks, admiring Gucci and Versace, enjoying a meal on the city`s “Mink Mile,” and then heading back to Hamilton.
As a single mother, Charmaine Gilgeous had several non-negotiables for her sons: homework always came first, food had to be healthy, and regardless of circumstances, they would always dress impeccably. “I don`t play about how you look,” she stated emphatically. “My kids could run amok in my house, but when they stepped out that door, you better, as we say, `fix up.` You better get it together.”
“Growing up we`d always try to dress and look the part,” Gilgeous-Alexander recounted. “That was very important. When we left the house, it was like, make sure your collar is down, make sure your shirt is not wrinkled. Make sure there`s no boogers in your nose. Make sure there`s nothing in your eyes.” This practice wasn`t about vanity, but about vision – about presenting oneself as if already embodying the desired future, establishing routines and habits, and cultivating a clear picture of what was to come. “You step out of the house, you look the part. You`re representing the family,” Gilgeous-Alexander concluded. “And that kind of transferred into what it is now.”
What it is now is precisely what Gilgeous-Alexander always believed it could be: a distinguished place on the short list for the NBA`s Most Valuable Player. He has often stated his dream of winning an MVP award since he was six years old. In high school, he and his cousin, Minnesota Timberwolves guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker, would spend hours talking late into the night about their NBA ambitions. “We would stay up for hours talking about what we want to accomplish, where we wanted to go,” Alexander-Walker confirmed. “I remember him saying it then, too.”
The “Electric Moment” and the Relentless Pursuit of Excellence
Oklahoma City Thunder General Manager Sam Presti frequently recounts a story about his meeting with Jerry Krause, the architect behind Michael Jordan`s Chicago Bulls dynasty. Despite his advanced age and declining health, Krause extended an invitation to Presti, eager to discuss his basketball philosophies. Presti readily accepted.
“This guy was a baseball scout, too,” Presti recalled in 2023. “He took it so serious, and he was talking about these, he called them `electric moments` when you`re scouting a player and you see something. It`s a glimpse of something, and you stand up and you look around and you go, `I hope that no one else saw that.`”
For Presti, that definitive “electric moment” involving Gilgeous-Alexander occurred during the 2019-20 season. He observed Gilgeous-Alexander competing against Chris Paul in practice, and something about his competitive fire and the way he finished baskets sparked a profound realization in Presti: he had found the future face of his franchise. Presti had experienced this profound feeling before, notably drafting and developing Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden a decade and a half earlier, and he was embarking on what he hoped would be a similar rebuilding phase centered around Gilgeous-Alexander.
However, recognizing these “electric moments” is merely one facet of the equation; cultivating the optimal environment for elite players to truly flourish is arguably even more critical. “I do think that`s one thing that sometimes in the league today is missing,” Presti remarked in 2023. “People are not challenging. A relationship can`t be built on appeasement, at least no relationship that I`ve seen be successful that way. … You have to challenge and continually raise the bar.” This statement, made after the Thunder`s loss in the play-in tournament to the Timberwolves, largely went unnoticed amidst the league`s focus on the playoffs. Yet, it laid the foundational groundwork for the monumental leap Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder were poised to make. It was time to move beyond simply “window-shopping” or “looking the part” – it was time to truly embody it on the court.
The Meticulous Routine of a Rising Star
Two summers ago, when Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault visited his star player in his hometown, he observed a daily regimen akin to a project manager meticulously optimizing every aspect of his day. Each morning, Gilgeous-Alexander would text his friends, coordinating their pick-up times. Around 9 a.m., they would arrive at a local church gym for practice. Afterward, they`d return to his house to lift kettlebells for hours. With limited equipment and import restrictions, he relied on push-ups, pull-ups, and resistance band exercises.
“They`re all in sync with each other,” Daigneault noted. “He shows up and all the rebounders are in there. They know the drills. Then he drives to the house and the trainers are there. The garage door opens, and they start training. Then they go home and the chef is there preparing their lunch and the dog runs to the door.”
Gilgeous-Alexander stated that he initiated this rigorous routine in 2020, following the four-month shutdown of the season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “There was nothing to do, so I tried to be as strict and as organized as I could,” he recalled. “I tried to be on more scheduled times.” The Thunder staff were genuinely astonished by his physical transformation when the team reassembled in the Orlando bubble in July.
“He was on a mission,” Daigneault observed. “We had three weeks of practice before we started playing games. I was an assistant coach at the time, and we were playing against each other for a bunch of time. Dennis Schroder and Chris Paul were on one team and he was on the other, and that was the first time you were like, `Whoa.` He had the ball a little bit more, and he wasn`t trying to fit in as much with those guys. He was just kind of rocking, and it was also on the heels of all that work. So the convergence of those two things… Everybody recognized that maybe there`s another gear here. He wasn`t this good when we traded for him. He`s forged himself into this player.”
Charmaine Gilgeous attests that her son has always been steadfast in his routines. If bedtime was 9 p.m., he wouldn`t answer a call at 8:45 because it would disrupt his meticulously planned schedule. She emphasizes that he thrives on structure and order, adhering to it effortlessly. His handwriting is remarkably neat, his clothes consistently fashion-forward and sleek, and his Tesla Cybertruck always immaculate. Teammates notice his smaller rituals, like the red apple he eats before every game and his strict pre-game routines. Yet, Gilgeous-Alexander doesn`t seek attention for these details, embodying his mother`s teaching: “I don`t like overhyped kids. I can`t stand cocky people,” she declared. “I raise confident people. I don`t raise cocky people or loud people. The loud ones, you guys are doing too much. You`ve got too much insecurity. The confident, private people, you know you`re good, but you just don`t need credit from anybody else.”
Coach Daigneault frequently expresses admiration for Gilgeous-Alexander`s unwavering consistency. “None of it`s complicated,” Daigneault stated. “It`s the diligence and commitment with which he does it. That`s what makes it exceptional.” And exceptional it truly is.
Consider his impressive statistics this season: Gilgeous-Alexander ranks high in miles traveled per game yet maintains a notably slow average speed, indicating purposeful and deliberate movements. He has scored between 30 and 34 points in an astonishing 34 games, setting an NBA record for a single season. He leads the league in drives per game at 23.7, the fourth-highest total since tracking began in 2013-14, remarkably trailing only his own prior seasons. He also leads the league in isolation efficiency, scoring an incredible 1.24 points per isolation possession, the highest among players with 250 or more such plays since tracking began. Furthermore, he is on track to become only the third player since 1973-74 to average 30 points, 2 steals, and 50% shooting in a season, joining an exclusive club with legendary players Stephen Curry and Michael Jordan.
While Gilgeous-Alexander is rightfully receiving widespread recognition for the Thunder`s success this season, there`s little doubt he has already meticulously formulated how to adapt and optimize his performance for all future challenges. This driven mentality is evident every time he steps onto the court this year. He is finally living the role he envisioned all those years ago, walking through that upscale department store.
“It`s like I`m addicted to the feeling of getting better,” Gilgeous-Alexander concluded. “I`ve made it this far. I`ve worked this hard. And I can only do it for 10 more years, if I`m lucky. So why not, these next 10 years, give them my everything and see what I can be?”
