Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is approaching his first NBA Finals appearance with a mindset rooted in winning over accolades.
Ahead of the Thunder’s matchup against the Indiana Pacers, Gilgeous-Alexander made his priorities clear. “To win a title on top of everything that’s happened this year would be special,” he said. “I’ve said this so many times, but I don’t play for the individual stuff, I don’t play for anything besides winning.”
The 26-year-old MVP has posted historic numbers throughout the 2024–25 season, but emphasized that personal statistics never motivated him. “When I was nine years old, I played to win an OBA championship, when I was 20 years old, I played to win SEC championship and now I’m 26 and I want to win an NBA championship,” he explained.
His campaign included league-leading scoring totals, four 50-point games, and 75 games of at least 20 points — all while becoming the first Canadian to win NBA MVP since Steve Nash.
Still, Gilgeous-Alexander’s focus remained team-first, as he led Oklahoma City to a 64–18 regular season record and the franchise’s first Finals appearance since 2012.
He was named Western Conference Finals MVP after averaging 31.4 points, 8.2 assists, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.8 steals in a five-game series win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Gilgeous-Alexander also joined elite postseason company, recording 10 games with 30 points and five assists in a single playoff run — a feat previously accomplished only by Michael Jordan and LeBron James.
Despite those milestones, the Thunder guard reiterated that the goal is team success. His quote, “I don’t play for the individual stuff,” underscored a consistent theme in his public remarks throughout the season.
Oklahoma City enters the Finals with homecourt advantage and will face an Indiana team making just its second Finals appearance in franchise history.
Game 1 tips off Thursday night at Paycom Center, where Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder look to cap their rise with a championship.
