Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has risen as one of the top players in the NBA. This season, with the Thunder at 9-2, Shai is proving that he belongs among the NBA elite and he’s even drawing some comparisons to the GOAT of basketball himself, Michael Jordan.
“As a younger player, you can tend to get out of control or try to get my points,” Lue said, via ESPN. “He knows it’s going to come to him the style they play, he knows the ball’s going to come back. He allows other guys to get going, allows other guys that he trusts with the basketball [to score early]. But he knows that at any point in time he can take over the game. He reminds you a lot of the greats like [Michael] Jordan.”
As the greatest player in NBA history, comparisons to Michael Jordan are not taken lightly. While Shai may not have him ranked first in NBA history, Michael was an absolute beast in his prime with career averages of 30.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game on 49.7% shooting. He won six championships, 5 MVPs, and 10 scoring titles.
In his first six seasons, Michael Jordan put up 32.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 6.0 assists — shockingly similar numbers to what Shai’s been averaging over the past few years.
On the court, Michael also played with a ruthless tenacity that set the tone for the entire team. While he was aggressive in his approach, he knew that he was capable of going off at any time and so it allowed him to pick and choose when to take over the game. More often than not, Jordan delivered on the court and it’s why the Chicago Bulls achieved so much success during his tenure.
Of course, it took a lot of time before Jordan won his first title. In fact, it wasn’t until 1991, when Michael was already 28 years old, that he won his first of six NBA championships. Shai, 26, is on a similar timeline as Michael, and while he isn’t as impactful as the Bulls legend was, his confidence and consistency have helped to identify him as a top-tier superstar.
Shai, 26, initially played for the Clippers in the 2018-19 season before the pursuit of Paul George and Kawhi Leonard forced the team to trade him in a blockbuster deal with the Thunder. Ever since the trade, Shai has gotten progressively better leading up to last season when he finished 2nd in MVP voting with 30.1 points, 6.2 assists, and 5.5 rebounds per game on 50% shooting.
This season, coming off a second-round elimination at the hands of the Mavericks, the Thunder are once again projected to be one of the last teams standing. They are currently first in the West at 9-2 with a showdown against the Suns on Friday to determine the winner of their first game of the NBA Emirates Cup.
At this point, it’d be unfair to hold Shai to the same standards as Jordan but after six years in the NBA, he’s starting to feel some pressure to make a postseason run. With zero Finals appearances since 2012, the Thunder are desperate to return and the odds are pretty good with Shai, Chet Holmgren, and Jaylen Williams on the roster and fully healthy.
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