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