Chris Youngblood thought it was AI.
That was his immediate reaction when he received a photo from former college teammate Brandon Stroud on Monday afternoon, just a few hours before OKC’s preseason game against Dallas. It was of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning regular-season and NBA Finals MVP, wearing Youngblood’s Thunder jersey in his latest Instagram post.
“Yo, did you see this?” Stroud asked in a group message with Youngblood and others. “This is hard.”
“Nah, ain’t no way,” Youngblood texted back.
The photo was grainy, which only added to Youngblood’s suspicions. In reality, it was because Stroud sent it after someone else sent it to him. But Youngblood still pulled up Gilgeous-Alexander’s profile to see for himself.
“I went on my Instagram, and it was real,” Youngblood told The Oklahoman of the surprise co-sign. “I was like ‘Dang.’ I wasn’t expecting that. I think it just shows (Gilgeous-Alexander’s) humility. Shai’s a good person, a down-to-earth type of dude. So it was cool seeing it.”
The photo was the real deal, and so is Youngblood’s breakout summer with OKC.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander showing love to Chris Youngblood in his latest Instagram post.
Youngblood was a breakout player for the Thunder in Summer League, and he’s competing for the team’s final two-way contract. pic.twitter.com/bl2QunE06L
— Justin Martinez (@Justintohoops) October 6, 2025
In just three months, the college journeyman has gone from an undrafted guard to a Summer League standout to a prominent piece on the Thunder’s preseason roster. And with the regular season set to begin on Oct. 21, Youngblood is a prime candidate to earn OKC’s final two-way contract.
“I’m just blessed,” Youngblood said. “I can’t really say too much about it. I’m just taking it day by day.”
Youngblood is a willing shooter on the court. It’s how the 23-year-old guard made a name for himself during Summer League play, averaging 11 points through eight games on 46.5% shooting from deep.
But off the court, Youngblood is eager to pass on talking about his recent success. The more direct the question, the less eye contact he makes during his response. He refuses to lose sight of the ultimate goal, even for a brief moment.
That’s nothing new for those close to Youngblood such as Stroud. They spent three seasons together at Kennesaw State and one at South Florida.
“Knowing Chris, he don’t really like (the attention) for real,” Stroud told The Oklahoman with a laugh. “He just wants to be out of the way. He don’t even be on the internet or on social media. But I’m glad he’s getting this recognition because he’s a great player. I know the work he puts in.”
That work is what helped Youngblood land on the 2020 ASUN All-Freshman team at Kennesaw State. It’s also what helped him earn a 2023 All-ASUN first team selection as a junior and 2024 AAC Co-Player of the Year honors at USF as a senior.
And after spending his final season at Alabama, Youngblood’s work is what helped him avoid getting discouraged when he went undrafted this past June.
“I didn’t really let the draft dictate my confidence,” Youngblood said. “Drafted or undrafted, it didn’t really make a difference to me. I know what I’m capable of.”
Everyone else is just now catching on.
After making some noise in Summer League, Youngblood was one of four additions to OKC’s training camp roster. And it didn’t take long for him to stand out from that group.
“(Youngblood) was one of the first guys who stood out to me,” Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell said when asked about OKC’s training camp additions. “He’s just being competitive, being out there and asking a lot of questions. So I think he would be the one.”
Youngblood got even more people to talk about him after OKC’s 135-114 win over Charlotte on Sunday to begin preseason play.
He erupted for 20 points on 7-for-11 shooting from the field (5 for 8 from deep) in just 21 minutes off the bench. And despite not having the best size for a shooting guard at 6-3, he didn’t budge when defending larger opponents.
The only time Youngblood shied away from contact was during his postgame interview with sideline reporter Nick Gallo. He was asked how it felt to catch fire, which drew a reaction from the rest of the Thunder’s players as they surrounded him.
“Yeah, C,” an excited Jaylin Williams shouted before pounding his right hand on Youngblood’s chest.
Youngblood recoiled with his arms crossed to deflect the contact. Then, in typical fashion, he deflected the spotlight by giving credit to his teammates instead.
“They make my job easy,” Youngblood answered. “Just shoot the ball and play defense, man.”
That’s what Youngblood plans to provide throughout the rest of preseason play, which OKC will continue with a home game against Charlotte at 7 p.m. Thursday. It’ll be another opportunity to strengthen his case for the Thunder’s third and final two-way contract.
Malevy Leons, a defensive-minded forward who spent last season with the OKC Blue, is also competing for that spot. So is Jazian Gortman, a bucket-getting guard who has played for multiple G League teams. And then there’s Zack Austin, a fellow undrafted rookie who impressed against Dallas by recording 13 points and three boards off the bench.
But Youngblood figures to be the frontrunner. He’s easily the best 3-point shooter of the bunch. And despite being new to Thunder Nation, he already speaks its language fluently when talking about playing unselfishly and prioritizing team success.
A co-sign from Gilgeous-Alexander is also encouraging. Still, you won’t hear Youngblood talk about that potential two-way contract for now.
He won’t believe it until he knows its real.
“I’ve still got some business to take care of,” Youngblood said.
Justin Martinez covers sports for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Justin? He can be reached at jmartinez@oklahoman.com or on X/Twitter at @Justintohoops. Sign up for the Thunder Sports Minute newsletter to access more NBA coverage. Support Justin’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.
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