Feb. 17, 2026, 4:10 p.m. CT
The 2026 NBA All-Star weekend has come and gone. The league’s best players were highlights at the three-day festivities. Even though Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was sidelined with an abdominal strain, he participated in the media frenzy.
Gilgeous-Alexander was named an NBA All-Star starter for the third straight season. He’s on his way to back-to-back MVP awards, barring the unexpected. On top of having a championship ring, you’re seeing him pencil his name into the NBA’s history books.
It’s been quite the improbable journey to the NBA’s throne. The Oklahoma City Thunder rapidly ascended from a rebuild to an NBA champion because of Gilgeous-Alexander’s meteoric rise from an intriguing prospect to the reigning MVP.
At this point, Gilgeous-Alexander’s rivals are all-time greats. Not the current playing field. The 27-year-old may be a late bloomer, but he’s quickly made up for lost time by stuffing his trophy case with one prestigious award after another.
At the 2026 NBA All-Star break, Gilgeous-Alexander talked to TSN in an interview. He opinionated on a variety of topics. One being whom he views as basketball’s pantheon. If you’ve followed him long enough, you should know about his affinity for guys like Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant.
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“Michael Jordan, obviously. I think he’s the greatest player of all time. Kobe Bryant is in there. LeBron James,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “Point guard speaking, I’d go like Steph Curry, Magic Johnson, Chris Paul if you ask me. All those guys have done miraculous things with this game. All those guys have the same thing in common with obsessions of the game.”
Not surprised to hear Gilgeous-Alexander’s answer. It’s mostly all-time point guards. You already know he’s a huge Kobe stan. And considering Curry, Johnson and Paul are considered some of the greatest of his position, he could be knocking on the door to join that acclaimed group.
Another NBA championship would certainly help Gilgeous-Alexander’s case. Even though they’ve looked human the last couple of months, the Thunder are still viewed as the title favorite. Hard to blame people who believe that. When healthy, they’ve shown to be a win machine. But juggling injuries all season has finally caught up to OKC in its win-loss record.