Shai Gilgeous-Alexander facts for kids
Gilgeous-Alexander in 2022
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| No. 2 – Oklahoma City Thunder | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| Point guard / shooting guard | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | July 12, 1998 Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
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| High school |
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| Listed height | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 195 lb (88 kg) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Career information | ||||||||||||||||||||
| College | Kentucky (2017–2018) | |||||||||||||||||||
| NBA Draft | 2018 / Round: 1 / Pick: 11th overall | |||||||||||||||||||
| Selected by the Charlotte Hornets | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Pro career | 2018–present | |||||||||||||||||||
| League | NBA | |||||||||||||||||||
| Career history | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018–2019 | Los Angeles Clippers | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2019–present | Oklahoma City Thunder | |||||||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Medals
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Shaivonte Aician Gilgeous-Alexander (born July 12, 1998), often called SGA, is a Canadian professional basketball player. He plays for the Oklahoma City Thunder in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is a three-time NBA All-Star. He has also been named to the All-NBA First Team three times.
SGA was named the NBA Most Valuable Player for the 2024–25 season. That same season, he led the Thunder to their first championship. This was a huge win for the team since they moved to Oklahoma City.
Gilgeous-Alexander played one year of college basketball for the Kentucky Wildcats. He was picked 11th in the 2018 NBA draft by the Charlotte Hornets. But he was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers on the same night. In his first year, he was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team. He was then traded to the Thunder in July 2019.
In his first year with Oklahoma City, he was their top scorer. He helped them reach the playoffs as a strong team. After dealing with injuries for two seasons, SGA became an NBA All-Star in 2023. He was also voted to the All-NBA First Team. He finished fourth in the league in scoring, with 31.4 points per game. In the 2024–25 season, he led the league in scoring with 32.7 points per game. He won the NBA MVP award and the Finals MVP. This led to him winning the 2025 NBA Finals. He became only the fourth player in NBA history to win MVP, Finals MVP, and a scoring title in the same season.
With the Canadian national team, Gilgeous-Alexander won a bronze medal. This was at the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup. He was also named to the World Cup All-Tournament Team. In 2023, he received the Northern Star Award as Canada's athlete of the year. He was only the second basketball player to get this award.
Contents
Early Life and High School Basketball
Gilgeous-Alexander was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He grew up in nearby Hamilton. His mother, Charmaine Gilgeous, was a track athlete. She competed in the 1992 Summer Olympics for Antigua and Barbuda. His father, Vaughn Alexander, played high school basketball. He won a championship in Toronto in the early 1990s. SGA's father coached him when he was young.
He started high school in Hamilton at St. Thomas More Catholic Secondary School. Then he moved to Sir Allan MacNab Secondary School. To improve his basketball skills, he moved to the United States. He attended Hamilton Heights Christian Academy in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He graduated from there in 2017.
High School Achievements
When he was in grade 9, he didn't make the junior team at St. Thomas More. So he played on the midget team instead. He became the team's MVP and led them to the city championship. After attending Sir Allan MacNab, he moved to Hamilton Heights Christian Academy in 2015. He said he wanted to play against better competition. As a senior, he averaged 18.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 4.0 assists.
In early 2016, he took part in the Basketball Without Borders Camp. He was considered a top player by ESPN. He first planned to play for Florida. But he changed his mind in October 2016. He then chose to play college basketball at Kentucky. He was named the most valuable player of the Kentucky Derby Festival Basketball Classic. At the 2017 Nike Hoop Summit, he scored eleven points for the World Select Team.
College Career at Kentucky
Gilgeous-Alexander started the 2017–18 season as a backup player. But he still played over 30 minutes per game. In December, he scored 24 points against Louisville. He also had 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals. He continued to play well, scoring 21 points against Georgia and 18 against LSU.
He became a starter along with four other freshmen. His points per game went up to 12.9. He also averaged 3.8 rebounds and 4.6 assists. Gilgeous-Alexander played great in the SEC tournament. He continued this strong play into the NCAA Tournament. Kentucky lost in the Sweet 16, and SGA declared for the 2018 NBA draft on April 9, 2018.
Professional NBA Career
Los Angeles Clippers (2018–2019)
Rookie Season with the Clippers
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On June 21, 2018, Gilgeous-Alexander was picked 11th in the 2018 NBA draft by the Charlotte Hornets. He was then traded to the Los Angeles Clippers on the same day. He played for the Clippers in the 2018 NBA Summer League. There, he averaged 19 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2.3 steals per game.
On December 17, 2018, SGA scored a season-high 24 points. On January 18, 2019, he tied that high with another 24 points. He was named to the World Team for the 2019 Rising Stars Challenge. On April 21, 2019, he scored a new career-high of 25 points in a playoff game.
Oklahoma City Thunder (2019–Present)
Becoming a Star Player
On July 10, 2019, the Clippers traded Gilgeous-Alexander to the Oklahoma City Thunder. This trade also included other players and draft picks. On October 8, 2019, he played his first game for the Thunder. He scored 24 points in a win against the Dallas Mavericks. On December 22, 2019, he scored a career-high 32 points.
On January 13, 2020, Gilgeous-Alexander achieved his first NBA triple-double. He had 20 points, 10 assists, and a career-high 20 rebounds. He became the second player in 30 years to get a 20-20-10 stat line. He was also the youngest player to do so.
Breakthrough and Injuries
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On December 26, 2020, SGA scored 24 points and made a game-winning shot. On February 24, 2021, he scored a career-high 42 points. His season ended on March 24, 2021, due to a foot injury.
On August 3, 2021, Gilgeous-Alexander signed a five-year contract extension with the Thunder. On December 18, 2021, he scored 18 points and made a game-winning three-pointer. This shot helped the Thunder beat his old team, the Clippers. Four days later, he got his second career triple-double. He had 27 points, 11 rebounds, and 12 assists. On December 27, he was named the NBA Western Conference Player of the Week. This was his first time winning this award. He missed the rest of the season from March 28, 2022, due to an ankle injury. He finished the season averaging career highs of 24.5 points and 5.9 assists per game.
First All-Star and All-NBA First Team
On October 31, 2022, Gilgeous-Alexander was named the NBA Western Conference Player of the Week again. On November 16, he tied his career-high with 42 points. He also made a game-winning three-pointer. On December 19, he scored 35 points and made another game-winning shot.
On February 2, 2023, Gilgeous-Alexander was chosen for his first NBA All-Star Game. On February 4, he scored 42 points. On February 10, he tied his career-high with 44 points. He became the first Thunder player to score over 40 points while shooting 80% from the field. He ended the season averaging a career-high 31.4 points per game. He was only the second guard in NBA history to average at least 30 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block while shooting 50% from the field. He was also the youngest guard to do this. On May 2, he finished fifth in voting for the NBA Most Valuable Player award. He was also named to his first All-NBA First Team.
MVP Runner-Up and Top Team Record
On November 8, 2023, Gilgeous-Alexander scored 43 points. On November 14, he had 28 points and a career-high seven steals. He also had his fifth straight game with 25 points on 55% shooting. This was the longest streak in Thunder history. On November 18, he recorded 40 points, seven rebounds, and six assists. On December 16, he made a game-winning shot against the Denver Nuggets.
On January 25, 2024, Gilgeous-Alexander was named a Western Conference starter for the 2024 NBA All-Star Game. This was his second straight All-Star selection and first as a starter. On March 12, he scored 30 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists. This was his 48th game with 30 points or more that season. He broke Kevin Durant's Thunder record of 47 such games. Gilgeous-Alexander finished second in the MVP race. He was also selected to the All-NBA First Team for the second time. Thanks to his play, the Thunder won 57 games. They entered the 2024 NBA playoffs as the top team in the Western Conference.
In the playoffs, the Thunder beat the New Orleans Pelicans in 4 games. This moved them to the Western Conference Semifinals. This was the team's first time reaching this stage since 2016. Gilgeous-Alexander had 24 points and 10 rebounds in Game 4. Oklahoma City later lost to the Dallas Mavericks in six games. SGA scored a playoff career-high 36 points in the final game.
First MVP Season and NBA Championship
On November 11, 2024, Gilgeous-Alexander scored a career-high 45 points. On December 26, he tied his career-high with another 45 points. In December, he led the Thunder to a 12–1 record. He averaged 33.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 5.2 assists. He won Player of the Month awards for November and December.
On January 2, 2025, Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder to their 13th straight win. This set a new team record for most consecutive regular-season wins. On January 5, he had 33 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists. This was their 15th straight win, a franchise record. On January 22, he scored a career-high 54 points. On January 25, he was named a Western Conference starter for the 2025 NBA All-Star Game. This was his third straight All-Star selection. On January 29, he scored 52 points. On February 5, he scored 50 points. He became the ninth player in NBA history to score 50 points three times in seven games.
On March 3, Gilgeous-Alexander scored 51 points. This was his fourth game with at least 50 points this season. He tied Kevin Durant for second in team history for 50-point games. He also became the 12th player in NBA history to have four or more 50-point games in one season. On March 12, he scored 34 points. He also became the fastest player in Thunder history to reach 10,000 career points. He did it in 368 games, beating Kevin Durant's record. On March 25, he recorded 32 points. This was his 65th straight game with at least 20 points. He broke Kevin Durant's record of 64 consecutive 20-point games.
Gilgeous-Alexander finished the regular season as the first Canadian to lead the NBA in scoring. He was also the third international player to do so. He had the most 20-point games (75), 30-point games (49), 40-point games (13), and 50-point games (4). His streak of 72 straight games with at least 20 points was the longest since the 1960s. He was named the NBA Most Valuable Player of the 2024–25 season. He became the second Canadian player to win this award. Gilgeous-Alexander also led the Thunder to their best record ever, 68–14. This was tied for the fifth-best regular season record in NBA history.
In the playoffs, on April 26, SGA scored a playoff career-high 38 points. This helped the Thunder sweep the Memphis Grizzlies in four games. In Game 7 of the second round, he scored 35 points. This secured his first Western Conference Finals appearance. He became one of only six players in NBA playoff history to have 35+ points and zero turnovers in a Game 7. In Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals, he tied his playoff career-high with 38 points. He became the first player in team history to have five straight 30-point games in the playoffs. On May 26, in Game 4, he recorded a playoff career-high 40 points. He also had nine rebounds and 10 assists. The Thunder won the series in five games. Gilgeous-Alexander was named the unanimous winner of the Western Conference Finals MVP. He averaged 31.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, 8.2 assists, and 1.8 steals per game. This led to his first NBA Finals appearance. He also became one of only three players in NBA history to have 10 or more games with 30 points and 5 assists in a single playoff run. The others are Michael Jordan and LeBron James.
In Game 1 of the 2025 NBA Finals, Gilgeous-Alexander scored a game-high 38 points. This was the third-most points scored in an NBA Finals debut. He followed this with 34 points in Game 2. His 72 points in the first two Finals games were the most ever by a player in their first two Finals games. In Game 5, he had 31 points, 10 assists, and four blocks. This gave the Thunder a 3–2 lead in the series. He set a new NBA record with 12 games of at least 30 points and 5 assists in a single playoff run. He also became one of only four NBA players to have 15 or more 30-point games in a single postseason. Oklahoma City defeated Indiana in Game 7 to win the series 4–3. Gilgeous-Alexander was named the Finals MVP. He became the fourth player in NBA history to win MVP, Finals MVP, and a scoring title in the same season. He was also the first Canadian to win NBA Finals MVP.
On July 1, he agreed to a record four-year, $285 million contract extension with the Thunder.
National Team Career
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Gilgeous-Alexander played for the Canadian junior national team. They competed in the 2016 FIBA Americas Under-18 Championship in Valdivia, Chile. He averaged 7.8 points, 5.4 assists, and 4.0 rebounds. The team won a silver medal. Later that year, he joined the senior national team. They played in the 2016 FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament. Canada lost to France in the final. This meant they did not qualify for the 2016 Summer Olympics.
On May 24, 2022, Gilgeous-Alexander committed to play with the national team for three years. Their goal was to qualify for the Olympic basketball tournament. At the 2023 FIBA World Cup, Gilgeous-Alexander was the main player for Canada. He led them on a historic run. On September 3, they reached the quarter-finals. This also secured a spot at the 2024 Summer Olympics. He called this "almost indescribable." The team won the bronze medal after beating the United States. This was Canada's first World Cup medal. It was also their first medal at a major global tournament since the 1936 Summer Olympics.
For his great play, Gilgeous-Alexander was named to the World Cup All-Tournament Team. He also received the Northern Star Award as Canada's athlete of the year. He was given the Lionel Conacher Award as the Canadian Press' choice for Canadian male athlete of the year. He was only the second basketball player to receive these honors.
He was named to Canada's team for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. Canada played well in the group stage, but was eliminated by hosts France in the quarterfinals. Gilgeous-Alexander was named to the tournament's All-Second Team. He averaged 21 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 4 assists per game.
Player Profile
Gilgeous-Alexander is 6 feet 6 inches (1.98 m) tall and weighs 195 pounds (88.5 kg). He is a combo guard. He is known for his ability to drive past defenders and score in different ways. His long 6-foot 11 inch (2.11 m) wingspan, body control, and speed make him one of the best slashers in NBA history. He has a 68% career field goal percentage close to the basket. He also helps his teammates score, averaging over 5 assists per game.
Even though he hasn't been named to an NBA All-Defensive Team, Gilgeous-Alexander is a strong two-way player. He received votes for the All-Defensive Team from 2023 to 2025. He also placed 7th in the voting for the 2024 Defensive Player of the Year Award.
Some fans criticize Gilgeous-Alexander for how often he draws fouls when driving to the basket. He led the NBA in total free throws made from the 2022–23 season to the 2024–25 season. Former NBA player Richard Jefferson defended SGA. He said that people only started complaining about his free throws when he became a top player.
Personal Life
Gilgeous-Alexander and his longtime girlfriend, Hailey Summers, got married in February 2024. They welcomed their first child in April 2024.
SGA's younger brother, Thomasi, played college basketball. His cousin, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, is also an NBA player. The two are very close.
In July 2020, Gilgeous-Alexander signed a deal with Converse. He later became their Creative Director.
Career Statistics
NBA Regular Season
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018–19 | L.A. Clippers | 82* | 73 | 26.5 | .476 | .367 | .800 | 2.8 | 3.3 | 1.2 | .5 | 10.8 |
| 2019–20 | Oklahoma City | 70 | 70 | 34.7 | .471 | .347 | .807 | 5.9 | 3.3 | 1.1 | .7 | 19.0 |
| 2020–21 | Oklahoma City | 35 | 35 | 33.7 | .500 | .418 | .874 | 4.7 | 5.9 | .8 | .7 | 23.7 |
| 2021–22 | Oklahoma City | 56 | 56 | 34.7 | .453 | .300 | .810 | 5.0 | 5.9 | 1.3 | .8 | 24.5 |
| 2022–23 | Oklahoma City | 68 | 68 | 35.5 | .510 | .345 | .905 | 4.8 | 5.5 | 1.6 | 1.0 | 31.4 |
| 2023–24 | Oklahoma City | 75 | 75 | 34.0 | .535 | .353 | .874 | 5.5 | 6.2 | 2.0 | .9 | 30.1 |
2024–25 |
Oklahoma City | 76 | 76 | 34.2 | .519 | .375 | .898 | 5.0 | 6.4 | 1.7 | 1.0 | 32.7* |
| Career | 462 | 453 | 33.1 | .501 | .355 | .862 | 4.8 | 5.1 | 1.4 | .8 | 24.4 | |
| All-Star | 3 | 2 | 16.9 | .733 | .688 | .500 | 3.0 | 4.7 | .3 | .3 | 18.7 | |
NBA Playoffs
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | L.A. Clippers | 6 | 6 | 28.8 | .467 | .500 | .850 | 2.7 | 3.2 | 1.0 | .8 | 13.7 |
| 2020 | Oklahoma City | 7 | 7 | 39.9 | .433 | .400 | .957 | 5.3 | 4.1 | 1.0 | .4 | 16.3 |
| 2024 | Oklahoma City | 10 | 10 | 39.9 | .496 | .432 | .790 | 7.2 | 6.4 | 1.3 | 1.7 | 30.2 |
| 2025 |
Oklahoma City | 23* | 23* | 37.0 | .462 | .283 | .876 | 5.3 | 6.5 | 1.7 | .9 | 29.9 |
| Career | 46 | 46 | 37.0 | .468 | .350 | .859 | 5.4 | 5.7 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 25.8 | |
College Statistics
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017–18 | Kentucky | 37 | 24 | 33.7 | .485 | .404 | .817 | 4.1 | 5.1 | 1.6 | .5 | 14.4 |
See also
In Spanish: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander para niños
- List of NBA single-season scoring leaders
- List of NBA career free throw percentage leaders
