“Canada gonna win gold in basketball in LA” – Paul Pierce predicts Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will lead Canada to gold in the Los Angeles Olympics originally appeared on Basketball Network.
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander completed one of the best seasons ever by an NBA guard. Not only did SGA win the 2025 NBA title, but he was also named Finals MVP. And that’s not all: SGA was also this year’s scoring champ and league MVP.
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Hall of Famer Paul Pierce talked about Shai’s meteoric rise during the recent episode of Ticket & the Truth. He says what impresses him the most is that SGA is only in his sixth year in the NBA, yet he’s accomplished more than most have in their entire NBA careers.
“His rise came so fast. I don’t know if it’s from out of nowhere, really. But he jumped on that roller coaster like went straight up you know. He in his sixth year, the MVP,” said Pierce.
“If he do this again next year, say he get the MVP again, he gonna be in MVP talks, I don’t care what you say, cuz he was second last year, won it this year. If he get the MVP again next year, and they win it again, it’s gonna be some uncomfortable conversations on where he ranks in the all-time at just such a young age. That’ll put him at two chips, two MVPs,” continued Paul.
Shai’s meteoric rise
It seemed like it was only yesterday when Gilgeous-Alexander was drafted 11th overall by the Charlotte Hornets in 2018, only to get traded to the Clippers the same day. After a rookie season where he made the All-Rookie second team, he was traded to the OKC Thunder in the Paul George deal. The rest, as they say, is history.
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He doubled his rookie scoring average in his first year with the Thunder, and in the last three seasons, he’s averaged over 30 points per game, including a career-high 32.7 points per game this past season, where he won the NBA’s scoring title.
The Thunder won 68 regular season games and were the No.1 seed in the playoffs. They fulfilled the promise by winning the first title in OKC history. At only 26 years old, he is only going to get better. And if he continues at this pace, Pierce predicts big things from SGA three years from now.
“Before 2028, he gonna have two chips and I’m predicting that in 2028, Canada gonna win gold in basketball in L.A,” said Pierce. “In three years, think about it. Who gonna be on that U.S. team? We ain’t gonna have KD, Bron, and Steph. Tatum gonna be off this s– like ‘No, I’m good.'”
Canada will be the Team USA’s toughest challenge?
During the 2024 Paris Olympics, Team Canada had 10 active NBA players on their roster. That’s the most by any team other than Team USA. The Canadians topped Group A in the group stages but were stunned by eventual finalists and home team France in the quarter-finals round. But with Gilgeous-Alexander fast becoming the best player in the NBA, Canada may end up on top in 2028.
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Team USA’s potential roster would include Anthony Edwards, Tyrese Haliburton, Devin Booker, Jaylen Brown, Cade Cunningham, and Paolo Banchero. Jayson Tatum might also join, depending on how much of a grudge he still holds against the coaching staff. While that is a very formidable basketball team — it does not have the cloak of invincibility that the Paris Avengers had.
Currently, Team Canada is ranked just 6th on the FIBA ladder. However, with SGA leading the charge and the likes of R.J. Barrett, Dillon Brooks, Lu Dort, and Andrew Nembhard, they could indeed emerge as Team USA’s main threat in the Los Angeles games. Beating the Americans on U.S. soil may be tougher than Paul thinks, but with SGA, the sky is the limit.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jun 28, 2025, where it first appeared.