Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is currently second in MVP voting this season but he may be first when it comes to his place among the greatest Canadian athletes ever. According to NBA legend Stephon Marbury, no Canadian basketball player has ever been better than Shai, who is still in his sixth season.
“Shai is already the best Canadian basketball player ever. His skill set is something we haven’t seen before,” said Marbury on ‘Ball Don’t Stop.’ “He’s different. The thing I’m gonna continue to say about him is he’s consistent. There’s no night where he’s coming in and not performing at some type of level where he’s creating opportunities for his teammates or for himself… his ability with the basketball and how he gets where he wants on the floor, it’s different.”
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is no doubt on an all-time track right now. In just his sixth season in the league, he’s widely considered a top-five player overall and he’s got the numbers to back it up with a scoring average of 31.1 points per game on the second seed in the West. This year, he nudged out Stephen Curry for the All-Star starting spot and he could very well beat the reigning NBA Champion Nikola Jokic for his first MVP.
Since arriving in Oklahoma City back in 2019, Shai has really elevated his game to another level and people are still catching up to just how good he is. If he can keep up this trajectory, and take the Thunder to the final stage of the playoffs this year, it will only cement his place as one the best players in the game right now
As far as his ranking against other Canadian players, he’s the best player from the area today, no question. But whether or not he’s better than Steve Nash remains to be seen given how little we’ve seen of his career.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Vs. Steve Nash: Who Is The Canadian Basketball GOAT?
As great as Shai has been in the early stages of his career, his resume doesn’t quite stack up to some of the NBA legends. At just 25 years old, Shai doesn’t have the experience of a franchise superstar and he’s still got a lot to prove in the NBA.
For many, Shai is still several tiers below former NBA point guard (and Canadian basketball star) Steve Nash, whose career is widely beloved and respected throughout the country. Besides being a renowned offensive savant in the mid-2000s, Nash was also a winner who retired with countless accolades and awards to his name.
Over 18 seasons, Nash was an 8x All-Star, 7x All-NBA player, 5x assist leader, and 2x MVP. After retiring in 2014, he became a first-ballot Hall of Famer, and his legacy as one of the NBA’s greatest offensive point guards remains untouched to this day.
While Shai may be more gifted and naturally skilled than Nash, he doesn’t have the accolades to prove it and until he goes out and delivers in the postseason, there will always be some hesitation to compare him to the greats.
At the very least, it’s safe to say that Shai is off to a great start in his career and if he can sustain this level of play for years to come, it may not be long before he passes up Nash as the Canadian basketball GOAT. For now, his only goal is to keep winning games so the Thunder can hold their place in the standings and finally make a run for the title.
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