Most NBA players have a greatest all-time player in mind before they even set foot in the league, as they’ve witnessed various stars play throughout their basketball journeys.
That includes Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who is quickly establishing himself as one of the best in all of basketball, after winning last year’s NBA MVP and seeming likely to repeat as the winner for his recent season’s work. He’s now got his team back on track towards a second championship, too.
After sweeping the Phoenix Suns in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs, OKC sat back to await its next opponents. They’ll take on LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers, who come into the series without Luka Doncic due to injury.
In candid remarks he shared ahead of Game 1, SGA revealed his thoughts on the game’s greatest of all time, surprisingly not naming LeBron as his pick.
“Michael [Jordan]’s the blueprint for basketball. In my opinion, the greatest to ever do it,” he said without hesitation in a teaser clip from his NBA Showtime interview on NBC.
According to SGA, MJ “brought a certain energy to the game that was never brought to the game” until he arrived in the league.
While the Oklahoma City All-Star and MVP credited Jordan as the G.O.A.T., he had a different player as his first significant basketball idol: the late, great Kobe Bryant.
He called him “the poster for hard work” and praised him as what helped him fall in love with the game of basketball. Jordan captured six championships, including two three-peats during his time in the NBA, among many other significant achievements in his legendary career.
Bryant, who played with a fierce “Mamba Mentality,” nearly matched that, winning five championships throughout his career, including a three-peat that featured Shaquille O’Neal on the roster.
He also surpassed MJ’s mark for points scored, finishing fourth on the list. Several active NBA newcomers have passed or moved near MJ and Kobe, with Kevin Durant gaining on Bryant for fourth all-time, and LeBron, who sits atop the list as the all-time leader.
And one shouldn’t mistake SGA’s teaser remarks for shade towards LeBron either. In a different interview at a Thunder practice session, he commented on King James’ greatness, calling him, “one of the best players to ever pick up a basketball in the history of human beings.”
That’s certainly the utmost respect from SGA towards his upcoming opponent, and LeBron has also recently referred to the reigning MVP as the “most-efficient offensive player” in the league.