Shai Gilgeous-Alexander gives off a quiet, nonchalant vibe. However, after the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Golden State Warriors on Saturday night, Gilgeous-Alexander had to let everyone know he had Stephen Curry’s number.
The Thunder guard posted an assortment of clips and videos on Instagram. These include videos of him blocking Curry and scoring against him.
“I was feeling like e-40 in the Bay, so i had to go dumbbbbb”
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on Instagram
To those who aren’t hip-hop fans, E-40 is a rap icon based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The “dumb” reference was probably the lyric to his hit song “Tell Me When to Go.” The Canadian native is a massive hip-hop fan and hails from the same city as the rapper Drake, so it’s no surprise he’d be quoting rap lyrics in his post.
Whatever Gilgeous-Alexander meant, he wants to let everyone know he has arrived. The Thunder has shot up to No. 2 in the Western Conference standings and is the first to win double-digit games this season from the West.
On many fronts, the Thunder-Warriors game on November 18 was historic. Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren became the first Thunder duo to score at least 35 points in a game since Russell Westbrook and Paul George. The All-Star guard dropped 40 points on 62 percent shooting while contributing seven rebounds and six dimes.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren are the first duo in Thunder Franchise history to record 35+ points each since:
Paul George (45 points) and Russell Westbrook (43 points) – 2/22/2019 https://t.co/uOiWfE1vkR
— NBA History (@NBAHistory) November 19, 2023
Gilgeous-Alexander is now averaging 29.6 points, 6.2 rebounds, 5.8 assists, and 2.5 steals in 13 games. His efficiency is through the roof: 53.5 percent from the floor, 36 percent from deep, and 92.1 percent from the line.
He is only 25 years old and already made the All-NBA First Team last year. All signs point to another appearance as one of the five best NBA players, but most importantly, the Thunder is heading in the right direction as a team.