Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander addresses emotional significance of potential Clippers series

Jayden Armant

Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander addresses emotional significance of potential Clippers series image

The Los Angeles Clippers and Denver Nuggets wrap up their exhilarating series Saturday night.

As the Oklahoma City Thunder await their next opponent, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander reflected on potentially facing his former team.

“They did [motivate] me a long time ago,” Gilgeous-Alexander said to reporters Friday afternoon. “I haven’t thought about them in years though. I can’t hold, I guess you can say, grudges forever in life. Like you said, for whatever reason, they moved on and thought it was a good idea. Those were the cards that I was dealt, and I just try to be the best.”

Gilgeous-Alexander was drafted by the Hornets with the 11th pick before being traded to the Clippers. He was sent to the Thunder with Danillo Gallinari and five first-round picks in exchange for nine-time All-Star Paul George.

Safe to say, it’s worked out for the veteran guard.

Since leaving Los Angeles, Gilgeous-Alexander has elevated his career with three All-Star selections and multiple high-level scoring seasons on the Thunder. He averaged a league-best 32.7 points, five rebounds, and 6.7 assists in his MVP campaign this season. The Thunder made franchise history with a league-leading 68-14 record, spearheaded by another superstar season from Gilgeous-Alexander.

He can add more to the Thunder’s trailblazing season on Monday night against the Clippers or Nuggets.

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Jayden Armant

Jayden Armant is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. A 2024 journalism graduate of Howard University, he has covered the MLB, NBA and NFL professionally since 2022, writing for outlets such as Sports Illustrated and The Orlando Sentinel. He was a Terez A. Paylor scholarship recipient and an award-winning video editor.