Even though they haven’t been teammates for nearly five years, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s lone season with Chris Paul left a sizable footprint on the 26-year-old’s ascension into one of the league’s best players.
The Oklahoma City Thunder enters the 2024-25 season as a title contender. Teams across the league held their Media Day to kick off the new NBA campaign.
During the Thunder’s Media Day, Gilgeous-Alexander admitted the importance of his relationship with Paul and how it helped him grow into an MVP candidate. OKC acquired Paul from the Houston Rockets. He enjoyed a bounce-back season and mentored Gilgeous-Alexander, who also entered his first year on the Thunder after being traded from the LA Clippers.
“Chris was the first player I was around that was very particular about the things outside of basketball,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “He was the first person I was around that ate a certain way, that made sure they were lifting a certain amount of times during the week. He would watch basketball games differently… Not watching as a fan.”
Paul is a future Hall-of-Famer who’s one of the best players of his era. His longevity is one of the biggest reasons he’s a multi-time All-Star. He enjoyed a career resurgence in OKC after a sloppy second year on the Houston Rockets.
“I think that kind of edge outside of the court is what makes him who he is as a player, along with his work and his skill set,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “That, if anything, is what I adopted from him the most.”
Even though Paul lasted one season on the Thunder, his impact is still felt years later. His biggest contribution was taking Gilgeous-Alexander under his wing and that’s mentorship roles continue to pay dividends.
This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander credits Chris Paul for his basketball approach
SPRINGFIELD — It is a thing of beauty, all polished gold and bearing the names of NBA championship teams, including the current king of the league, the Boston
With 2024 Fantasy basketball drafts going on the clock, having a reliable set of 2024 F
Cruse opens the show by asking Adler to explains some of the rules around the expansion draft. “Basically, you can protect six players,” Adler says. “
Caitlin Clark wins WNBA Rookie of the YearIndiana Fever's Caitlin Clark wins the WNBA Rookie of the Year award.Sports PulseThe Big 12 announced the preseason a