After one of the greatest individual seasons ever, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has surely asserted himself as one of the basketball greats. It took conventional wisdom a while to catch up to how absurdly great the 27-year-old is, but an MVP award, NBA Finals MVP trophy, scoring title and championship ring are enough of a stacked trophy case for most.
Well, not to Bleacher Report. The outlet’s NBA staff published the top 100 NBA players of all time. Considering it’s mid-July, right now is the perfect time to reflect on the league’s rich history and vote for who is among the greatest that have tied up their sneakers on the hardwood.
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Despite three straight 30-plus point campaigns and three All-NBA First Team honors, Gilgeous-Alexander was not listed among the best 100 players ever. Instead, other active players like Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, Jimmy Butler and Paul George were listed ahead — even with lesser resumes.
So, this is clearly an oversight. Perhaps Bleacher Report’s staff conducted the poll while the NBA playoffs were still happening. A project like this requires weeks. Still, a championship shouldn’t be the deciding factor for a layup entry like Gilgeous-Alexander.
Gilgeous-Alexander has had an abnormal path to superstardom. He went from afterthought of the 2019 George to LA Clippers blockbuster to a Gen Z Michael Jordan in just three seasons, but that should’ve been enough time for their writers to understand just how historically special he is.
The average fan might’ve learned how dominant Gilgeous-Alexander was this past season. The Thunder had one of the greatest seasons ever and were constantly on national television. But two straight top-five MVP finishes, including runner-up last year, clearly showed where his trajectory was going as he entered his prime.
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Shame on Bleacher Report for the mishap. They should know better.
This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 1 of the top 100 NBA players ever?