Draymond Green has plenty of respect for today’s stars, but one name stands above the rest for him. On a recent stream with Kai Cenat, the Warriors forward revealed that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is his favorite player in the league, praising the Thunder guard’s ability to score at will and turn foul-drawing into an art form.
“My favorite [player] is Shai,” said Green. “Because Shai, he’s just gonna get you a bucket. People complain that he draws fouls, but that’s a skill. There is an art to that. If you’re a dumb defender and you foul, that’s your fault. That’s not a knock on him.”
Draymond is a 4x champion, and his standard for greatness is high. With experience alongside Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, and Jimmy Butler, he knows talent when he sees it, and that’s good news for Thunder fans.
As the 11th overall pick in 2018, nobody knew how good Shai would become, not even the Clippers. They traded him after one season to the Thunder, where he blossomed into the superstar he is known as today.
As the NBA’s reigning MVP and NBA champion, Shai has earned his place as one of the best players in the game right now, and Green gives him full credit for his abilities. With averages of 32.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 6.4 assists per game last season, he’s right behind Nikola Jokic on the basketball player hierarchy, and he’s just 27 years old.
He helped the Thunder to the best record in the league last season, en route to leading them to their first championship in franchise history. Besides being well-rounded and extremely versatile, Shai’s game is consistent thanks to his ability to get to the line, which ensures he can still score even when his shot isn’t falling.
In the 2024-25 campaign, he averaged 8.8 attempts per game (highest in the league) on 89.8% shooting, and it’s a common point of criticism from fans and competitors. More than most, Shai is gifted at drawing fouls, and sometimes his methods can include some controversial tactics.
During James Harden’s prime, this was one of the biggest gripes about his game, but it allowed him to dominate as a scorer and win the MVP in 2018 with averages of 30.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 8.8 assists per game on 44.9% shooting. In the case of Gilgeous-Alexander, he’s rivaling Harden’s prime at the free-throw line, and not everyone has come to appreciate the craft.
Still, if you ask Draymond, you can’t hold it against Shai to manipulate the whistle to his advantage. In fact, he argues that we should all appreciate it. It’s a tale as old as time, employed by many stars who shared a similar talent. For SGA, it’s second-nature, and he’d be foolish not to use it to help his team win.
In the end, Draymond’s praise for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is telling. For all of his antics and controversies, Green has always been brutally honest about the players he respects most. If he’s putting SGA in that category, it’s a strong sign that the league’s stars are starting to view him as one of their own. At just 27, Shai is still adding to his bag, and if he keeps playing at this level, he won’t just be Draymond’s favorite, he’ll be everyone’s.
