Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has already reached superstar status in the NBA after leading the Thunder to their first championship following a historic season. Yet, he recently came under the media’s microscope when the former NBA player, Austin Rivers, pointed out that he has not reached his potential because he’s on a small-market team and he’s not American.
Following this comment, DeMarcus Cousins, Lou Williams, and Chandler Parsons addressed this take from Rivers on FanDuel’s ‘Run It Back’ show.
“I agree with all of that, but the part that stood out to me is what market he plays in. And I absolutely think the market matters in terms of the stardom. If you put SGA on the Knicks, Chicago, Lakers, he’s a global superstar now, but it would be times 10,” said Cousins.
“What commercial isn’t he on already? What else can he do? He’s on AT&T commercials; he’s on every commercial you can think of. He’s even in commercials with his teammates. And some of our biggest stars are from small markets,” Williams responded.
“Like Anthony Edwards is in Minnesota, it’s not the biggest market, but I feel like he’s more famous than SGA,” Parsons added to the discussion.
“LeBron James spent most of his career in Cleveland, and he was one of the biggest superstars… I just think at this point the small market thing is kind of overblown, especially with where the game has gone; it has gone global,” said Williams, while Cousins agreed.
“When it comes to the small market thing, even that small market is one of the best markets we have in terms of fanbases in the NBA. So now with everything going so digital, I don’t really think it matters anymore,” said Williams in conclusion.
On one hand, Cousins argued that a big market team like the Lakers or the Knicks would propel his stardom to the global level, but Williams believed that markets are irrelevant now in the digital era.
While I understand the point Cousins is trying to make, I am inclined to agree with Williams on this take. His point about the digital era is valid since we live in a world without borders now, essentially. However, his point about staying loyal to a small market team makes more sense in terms of an individual’s legacy.
Chicago was not considered a big market until Michael Jordan stayed loyal to the Bulls and made them into a successful dynasty. The Bulls did not have a single championship before 1991 as well.
The notion of big market and small market teams seems to be fading out of the NBA today. The young generation of players in the league presently, like Victor Wembanyama and Brandon Miller, have admitted that they grew up watching small-market teams like the Thunder and the Pacers due to their fandom of Russell Westbrook and Paul George, respectively.
Therefore, Gilgeous-Alexander, who is now equated to Michael Jordan on many levels, should follow his footsteps and stay loyal to Oklahoma City and the Thunder.
Especially considering that the Thunder have a lot more history than the Bulls did before their first championship, the franchise and its fanbase are closer to eventually being considered a big market themselves. Thus, Gilgeous-Alexander has his work cut out for him if he stays with the Thunder and does not chase a “big market” team like the Lakers or the Knicks.
