Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said he looks forward to competing against the NBA legends he grew up watching, naming LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, and James Harden among the players he most anticipates facing.
In a recent interview with GQ, the reigning NBA MVP was asked which young stars he views as his biggest rivals. Gilgeous-Alexander replied that while he respects his peers, he is driven by the challenge of testing himself against the game’s all-time greats.
“Nothing against the guys my age,” he told GQ. “But the guys I can’t wait to match up against are the LeBrons, the Steph Currys, the KDs, the James Hardens. The guys I grew up watching, that have completely stamped themselves on basketball forever, that have accomplished the things I want from the game. There’s no better test to see if I’m capable of accomplishing those things than going against those guys.”
The comment comes after a historic 2024–25 season in which Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder to their first championship since 2012. He captured both the NBA MVP and Finals MVP awards while becoming the first Canadian player to win Finals MVP honors.
Gilgeous-Alexander dominated throughout the campaign, averaging 32.7 points, 6.4 assists, and 5.0 rebounds per game. He also became just the fourth player in league history to win MVP, Finals MVP, and a scoring title in the same season, joining Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan, and Shaquille O’Neal.
In the postseason, he recorded 15 games with at least 30 points, joining Michael Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon, and Kobe Bryant as the only players ever to reach that mark in a single playoff run. His performances against elite competition—including a 38-point effort in Game 1 of the NBA Finals against the Indiana Pacers—cemented his reputation as one of the league’s premier guards.
