Shai Gilgeous-Alexander thanks Sam Presti for Kobe Bryant-like opportunity
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Oklahoma City Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was reflective after practice on Sunday and mentioned the late Kobe Bryant when he talked about the opportunity Thunder vice president and GM Sam Presti has bestowed upon him. He's a bonafide star and the face of the franchise. Gilgeous-Alexander ranked in the top five in ESPN's Top 100 NBA players and won Most Valuable Player by analysts in NBA GMs alike in their 2024-25 projections after finishing second to Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic for the prestigious award last season.
While speaking to reporters at practice, SGA thanked the Thunder front office for seeing him as the pillar Oklahoma City could build around. He compared the honor to NBA greats such as Bryant, Allen Iverson, and the others who came before him, per Oklahoman Sports' Joel Lorenzi.
"It's a kid's dream. You watch basketball and no knock on anybody that's not a star player, [but] growing up, you watch Kobe Bryant, [a] cornerstone of the Lakers franchise, you watch LeBron James, [a] cornerstone of the Cleveland franchise, you watch Allen Iverson, the cornerstone of the Philadelphia franchise, those are the guys that are budding in your face when you watch basketball, and the guys that you go out there and try to emulate," Gilgeous-Alexander said.
"[They] inspire you to play the game of basketball. Indirectly, he's given me the opportunity to go be that guy, and I try to take full advantage of the opportunity. But, yeah. Hat's off to Sam."
Asked SGA what it means for Sam Presti to see him as a guy worth building around: "No knock on anybody that's not a star player, (but) growing up you watch Kobe Bryant, cornerstone of the Lakers franchise…those are the guys in your face when you watch basketball.
"Indirectly,… pic.twitter.com/cIYJUjMu6v
— Joel Lorenzi (@jxlorenzi) October 20, 2024
What appeared to be a favorable win at the time of the deal turned into a heist pulled off by Presti in his trade with the Los Angeles Clippers. He was sending All-Star Paul George to the Clippers for a treasure trove of assets, including the Clippers' 2024 first-round pick, which Oklahoma City used to select rookie Dillon Jones in this year's draft. The Thunder reeled in five future first-round picks, including 2022's first-round pick and potential All-Star Jalen Williams and last year's runner-up for MVP, Gilgeous-Alexander.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ranked No. 4 on ESPN's Top 100 players
Sam Presti landed a full-fledged superstar in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who led four Thunder players named to ESPN's Top 100 Players list. He finished No. 4, Chet Holmgren (No. 56) and Jalen Williams (No. 59) finished in the top 60, and Alex Caruso was No. 87.
After averaging 30.1 points, 6.2 assists, 5.5 rebounds, 2.0 steals, and 0.9 blocks per game in 2023-24, Gilgeous-Alexander could be on the cusp of his first MVP season when the Thunder face the Nuggets in their regular-season opener.
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