Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is one step away from accomplishing something no one has done in basketball. He’s guiding the Oklahoma City Thunder into a winner-take-all Game 7 of the NBA Finals. That Week 2 college football matchup should be the most thrilling when these two teams meet Sunday at Paycom Center in OKC. It’s sure to be thrilling, high-stakes, competitive action, with the national championship hanging in the balance! That’s because Gilgeous-Alexander, the 2025 NBA Most Valuable Player, has been at the center of the Thunder’s success all-series long.
Even in the Finals, where all the marbles are, he delivers every time with superior play. He’s poured in 30 points or more in three of the squad’s wins. He’s been nothing short of amazing, averaging 30.5 points, 4.5 assists, 4.5 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 1.0 blocks per game. More than anything, his outstanding contributions have been crucial in leading the Thunder to this pivotal moment. He proved his scoring ability, compiling a team-high 21 points in Game 6. Inexplicably, that was his least productive game of the entire series!
Reflecting on his approach to the final game, Gilgeous-Alexander stated, “I don’t feel like I have to do anything other than just be the best version of myself.” This philosophy not only drove his tenure, but is the basis of his confidence and preparedness to take on the challenges ahead.
Before clinching the MVP award, Gilgeous-Alexander averaged an impressive 32.7 points, 6.4 assists, and 5.0 rebounds during the regular season, earning 71 out of 100 first-place votes. His all-around excellence during the course of the season made him one of the biggest dangerous players in the entire league.
The Thunder arrived at a crossroads last summer following a magical playoff run. They knocked out a favored Denver Nuggets team in a heart-stopping Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinals, powered by a preposterous Gilgeous-Alexander scissors-kick 35-spot!
As he gets ready for Sunday’s contest, he reflects on those formative days that created the instinctive game within him. He wistfully recalled his days at the University of Kentucky. During that stretch, he carried his team to an SEC championship game win, scoring a team-high 29 points. “Each of those experiences is a huge benefit to me, no doubt about it,” he said. “Like the one-and-done experiences, do-or-die games. There’s lessons from every game.”
Though they lost the series in Game 6, in which his team fell apart down the stretch, Gilgeous-Alexander is not concerned with dwelling on failures. Most refreshingly, he directly admitted, “The way I look at it is, we sucked tonight … it’s something we can learn our lessons.” His introspective demeanor reflects a desire to develop and become a better player as they move towards the finals’ dramatic conclusion.
With Game 7 on the horizon, Gilgeous-Alexander knows the importance of this opportunity. As he put it, “One game for all what you wished since beginning. His work ethic and commitment to winning has earned the respect of his teammates and the admiration of loyal Seawolf fans.
This is the Thunder taking the court one last time this season. They’re banking on Gilgeous-Alexander to improvise and excel in the most stressful moments. He encapsulated his mindset succinctly: “One game. Winner takes all. Give it your best shot. Bring your ‘A’ game. I don’t try to complicate it.”
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