At this point, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has ascended beyond the current competition. He’s hunting down basketball pantheons. Fresh off one of the greatest individual seasons ever, the 27-year-old hopes to add more to his trophy collection of an MVP, NBA Finals MVP and a championship ring.
Ahead of the 2025-26 regular season, Gilgeous-Alexander talked about his spot in NBA history. He’s primed to do in the 2020s what Stephen Curry did in the 2010s. Growing up a huge fan of Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant, he could soon join his idols in basketball discourse.
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One championship isn’t enough for Gilgeous-Alexander. He wants more. Call him The Galactus of the NBA. The Oklahoma City Thunder are best equipped to help him chase that ambition. Along with Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren, they make up the consensus title favorite for this upcoming season.
“A step in the right direction for sure, without a doubt,” Gilgeous-Alexander said on his first ring. “All of the guys that I study, idolize, look up to, get to that level multiple times. There’s still a lot of work to do.”
That’s quite the statement could make. Most NBA legends would be satisfied with one championship. Others, like his all-time favorite Allen Iverson, would trade all the money in the world for one ring. Instead of feeling full, though, he wants more and is seeking a second and third plate.
We’ll see where Gilgeous-Alexander’s ambitions land him. He’s already had one of the more unique superstar ascensions in NBA history. Now, it’s about maintaining that status while the rest of the league configures plans to stop what everybody expects to be the next dynasty.
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“I didn’t play basketball just to win one time and be done,” Gilgeous-Alexander said.
This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander wants to win more rings to be all-time great