Feb. 17, 2026, 9:00 p.m. CT
To show you how fast this whole basketball thing can go, we’re seeing the next generation of players enter college and the NBA with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as one of their idols.
The Oklahoma City Thunder have become a household team once again. On national television every other night, Gilgeous-Alexander’s superstar ascension has been chronicled on ESPN and other premier broadcast partners over the years.
Gilgeous-Alexander had one of the greatest individual seasons ever last year. He won the MVP award, the NBA Finals MVP award and an NBA championship. As the MVP and title favorite, he has a chance to repeat those accomplishments this year.
Shouldn’t be a shocker to see the next wave of NBA players idolize Gilgeous-Alexander and his playstyle. Similar to how he did a decade ago with Kobe Bryant.
The latest example is Dylan Mingo. The consensus five-star recruit announced his commitment to North Carolina. He is viewed as one of the best high school prospects of the 2026 class. Appearing on ESPN’s ‘First Take’ show, he said he’s copied Gilgeous-Alexander’s herky-jerky style to get to the cup and pull-up from the mid-range.
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“Shai is not as quick,” Mingo said. “But I think we have a lot of the same characteristics that are similar to our games.”
Seems like you’re seeing more of the up-and-coming class mention they grew up watching Gilgeous-Alexander’s ascension into one of the league’s best players. AJ Dybantsa said something similar when he committed to BYU last year. Now, he’s viewed as a probable top-three pick of the 2026 NBA draft.
Little surreal to see Gilgeous-Alexander be viewed the same way as he viewed guys like Bryant. Goes to show how improbable an NBA superstar journey he’s been on. Expect the next generation of players to say the same thing over the next few years as he becomes one of the defining players of the NBA’s 2020s.