Shai Gilgeous-Alexander put on a show to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder past the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday night. With a 119-103 win, the Thunder moved past Memphis with ease. But a highlight play by Gilgeous-Alexander in the fourth quarter bore a vague resemblance to an NBA legend.
With the opportunity to ice the game for the Thunder, Gilgeous-Alexander channeled the spirit of one of his idols, Kobe Bryant.
SGA NO WAY?! 🤯
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) December 23, 2025
Despite Kentavious Caldwell-Pope‘s timely three-point shot to cut the lead to single digits, the Thunder were in a comfortable position to win the game. Still, a moment of magic produced by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had the crowd on its feet.
The move to step past the defender and throw the ball off the backboard seemed awfully similar to a series of iconic plays by Kobe Bryant. Although Bryant went on to score, Gilgeous-Alexander found an alternative route to secure the points.
While discussing the play after the game, Gilgeous-Alexander stated:
“It’s part of the game. It’s fun. I’ve seen players throw it off the glass and dunk it. That’s probably not my personality; I don’t have that in me. But when they reacted, I knew BC [Branden Carlsen] was open. Tried to get him a shot. It worked out. I’ll probably never do it again.”
In his own way, Gilgeous-Alexander remains committed to being consistent and maximizing results. This approach has been largely positive for the Thunder, who tied their franchise record for most consecutive wins at home (14).
On the night of this accomplishment for the team, however, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander also reached a historic milestone.
In the process of scoring a game-high 31 points against the Grizzlies, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander reached 100 consecutive games of scoring above 20 points. With this, he is now the second player since Wilt Chamberlain (126) to have recorded such a feat.
OKC head coach Mark Daigneault shared his thoughts on Gilgeous-Alexander’s achievement during his post-game media availability.
“The vision he has, the commitment he has to the game and his craft, the team, he’s always in character around that stuff,” Daigneault commented. “He’s ruthlessly consistent in the invisible places that I see, and you guys don’t. It’s probably 100 more that I don’t see that he’s taking care of. But it’s no accident that he’s the player that he is. He’s literally chiseled himself into this player.”
Daigneault’s praise for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s consistency and commitment speaks volumes about the superstar’s work ethic. As the reigning MVP and one of the best offensive players in the league, the 27-year-old continues to carve out his unique legacy in the NBA.
