Every NBA superstar has a story, but Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's path to the top is anything but ordinary. The Oklahoma City Thunder guard didn't take a straight highway to stardom—he navigated winding backroads, making unexpected turns along the way. And through it all, one basketball legend was in his corner from the very beginning.
Ahead of their second-round playoff showdown with the Los Angeles Lakers, Gilgeous-Alexander shared how two-time MVP Steve Nash played a pivotal role in his journey. The connection goes all the way back to high school, when SGA wasn't exactly a household name among college recruiters. Before he became a Kentucky standout and the No. 11 pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, he was just a kid with a dream.
"Funny enough, Steve was the first person to tell me I was gonna make the NBA," Gilgeous-Alexander recalled. "I played for Team Canada's senior men's team when I was 16-17 years old. He just told me to stay on this path and I'll be here one day. As a kid, hearing that from a two-time MVP was really big for my confidence level. That's where I guess it started."
That early vote of confidence from Nash—a Canadian basketball icon himself—carried weight. It took four NBA seasons for the 6-foot-6 guard to become a household name, but once he broke through, there was no looking back. In what feels like the blink of an eye, Gilgeous-Alexander has gone from first-time All-Star to potential back-to-back MVP, drawing comparisons to legends like Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant along the way.
The bond between the two Canadian stars has only grown stronger over the years. "Over the years, we've just kept in touch. He's obviously a great guy, great basketball mind. Nothing but great things to say about Steve," SGA added.
It's a full-circle moment that speaks to the power of mentorship in basketball. A decade after that first conversation, there's a real debate about who deserves the title of greatest Canadian basketball player ever—and Gilgeous-Alexander is making a strong case. Whether or not he surpasses Nash's legacy, one thing is clear: the two-time MVP's early belief in a teenage SGA helped lay the foundation for something special.