Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Reveals His Favorite Basketball Player of All Time Without Hesitation
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Reveals His Favorite Basketball Player of All Time Without Hesitation originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is gearing up for Game 2 of the 2025 NBA Finals after a season to remember.
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The 26-year-old won his first MVP award after leading the Thunder to the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference with a 68-14 record. In doing so, he averaged 32.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 6.4 assists per game.
Gilgeous-Alexander continues to make a big impact on the game of basketball. While young fans now look up to the seventh-year guard, it's worth remembering that he was once in their shoes, and he had a basketball idol of his own.
Oklahoma City guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2).© NATHAN J. FISH/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
On Saturday, he spoke to the media and admitted Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant is his "favorite player of all time."
'That's probably my favorite player of all time," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "Never got the chance to meet him to answer your question but not only me, kids all across the world, his influence has gone through the roof, and his legacy will be remembered forever because of the competitor and the basketball player that he was. Hopefully, I'm somewhere close to that as a basketball player one day. But he was a special talent, special person, and God rest his soul.'
Bryant is one of the greatest players to ever pick up a basketball. He was drafted No. 13 overall in the 1996 NBA Draft and went on to play 20 seasons for the Lakers. The 6-foot-6 guard was a five-time champion, a two-time Finals MVP, the 2008 league MVP, an 18-time All-Star and an 11-time All-NBA First Team selection.
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Sadly, he lost his life in a helicopter accident alongside his daughter Gianna on Jan. 26, 2020.
Related: NBA Commissioner Finally Addresses Finals Court Debate Before Game 2
Related: Tyrese Haliburton's Postgame Moment with His Dad Is Turning Heads
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 7, 2025, where it first appeared.
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