Hamilton's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander now in exclusive club with Shaq, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Michael Jordan
champ Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
— at this point isn't anything possible? 'Space Jam 3?'
Shai
Jam? — it could open with a scene in the cavernous gym at Hamilton's downtown YMCA.
Summer of 2013: a skinny 14-year old kid with oversized feet is grinding, working on his game at a basketball camp, displaying uncommon seriousness of purpose.
Kenold Knight, one of the coaches, notes the kid's intensity.
'So what do you have going on?' Knight asks. 'What's your plan?'
'I'm going to the NBA,' replies Shai.
Flash forward to the present, Sunday night, and the coach's eyes tear up in front of his TV, watching a player
universally known as SGA
hoist new trophies — National Basketball Association champion and Finals MVP — and dish credit to teammates and 'everyone that's helped me get here, and they know who they are.'
'When you have someone who dreams so big, and you see them achieve it on the biggest stage, it is just surreal,' said Knight. 'And hearing Shai give credit to the people who helped him — that is humility, embodied right there.'
At the same moment he led his Oklahoma City Thunder to the NBA title in Game 7 against the Indiana Pacers — the second gut-check Game 7 victory for OKC in these playoffs — Gilgeous-Alexander placed Hamilton in a rarefied category, with San Antonio, New York City, and Wilmington, N.C.
What do all four cities have in common?
They are cities where a pantheon of NBA greats grew up, who — like Gilgeous-Alexander — achieved the sublime quad of winning the NBA scoring title, MVP, championship and finals MVP all in the same season: Shaquille O'Neal, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Michael Jordan (MJ did it four times.)
A spokesperson with the City of Hamilton said 'plans to celebrate and honour Shai here in Hamilton are still being finalized.' Mayor Andrea Horwath posted a congratulatory post on social media: 'Your leadership, poise, and passion are unmatched!'
Gilgeous-Alexander was born in Toronto, where his father, Vaughan Alexander, had been a star high school hoops player.
Alexander was courtside in OKC for Game 7. He told The Spec that his son's accomplishment was the culmination of hard work and perseverance.
'I'm sure he has had a list of achievements he has checked off all his life,' he said. 'Has been checking them off one by one, and he's not done. He plans to get better. Players in their prime get better. I'm looking forward to that.'
Gilgeous-Alexander, who attended St. Thomas More and Sir Allan MacNab high schools,
has always talked up Hamilton
as the place he developed his early basketball skills and where he 'became a man.'
'A blue collar, under the radar city,' he has told The Spec. He recalled that in youth basketball, GTA teams 'had all the hype. We played with a chip on our shoulder … An underdog mentality.'
Chip? Perhaps it is a coincidence, but note that in Game 3, Gilgeous-Alexander uncharacteristically tussled with an Indiana player who had been harassing him on defence when he didn't have the ball. The player, Andrew Nembhard, went to high school in Vaughan, in the GTA.
Six of Gilgeous-Alexander's old MacNab Lions buddies gathered at a restaurant in Ancaster to watch Game 7.
In OKC, the Hamilton content courtside, in addition to Shai's wife, Hailey — they dated in their teens — was personal trainer, Nemanja (Nem) Ilic.
He attended Westmount high school, and for six summers worked out Gilgeous-Alexander in the off-season in Ilic's garage/gym on the Mountain.
Ilic was on the floor after the game with Gilgeous-Alexander and other family and friends, trying to 'feel the moment,' he told The Spec.
'I felt fortunate to witness history. All the hard work leading to this moment … I'm super proud of his growth as a basketball player and as a man and who he's becoming.'
On social media, a few fans posted that they thought OKC players reacted happily — but also with oddly restrained enthusiasm — after winning the championship.
Perhaps the players can't help but channel SGA, their calm and steady superstar who plays with a unique blend of fire and ice.
And maybe the Thunder, and Gilgeous-Alexander, are already pondering new dreams.
Ilic, for one, couldn't help it.
Celebrating with his friend and client on the hardwood, he said to him: 'Now let's make it a repeat — why not?'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
28 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Nets' Cam Thomas' next contract could be similar to other signees
Brooklyn Nets guard Cam Thomas heads into August as an unsigned, restricted free-agent who seems to be waiting until he can figure out how he wants to address his immediate future. Reports throughout the summer have suggested that Thomas and Brooklyn are not seeing eye-to-eye, but there is some information on what his next contract in free-agency could look like. "Of the four prominent players in restricted free agency this summer, Thomas is most likely to be on his qualifying offer next season," ESPN's Tim Bontemps wrote on Monday when discussing the latest on Thomas. Bontemps echoed what others in the NBA space have been saying about Thomas in that he seems like the most likely player to bet on himself next season so that he can sign the deal he wants next summer. "The 23-year-old scoring guard's contract value has been difficult to peg since he slipped to late in the first round in 2022," Bontemps continued. "If a deal gets done with Brooklyn, expect it to look, at least in structure, like the ones the Nets signed with center Day'Ron Sharpe and forward Ziaire Williams earlier this offseason: one-year deals with team options on the second." Thomas, 23, is coming off the best season of his career when he averaged 24.0 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game while shooting 43.8% from the field and 34.9% from three-point land during the 2024-25 season. Brian Lewis of the New York Post reported earlier this offseason that Thomas was looking for a contract around $30 million per season based off other players that are making around that figure annually. Ultimately, Thomas seems to be between a rock and a hard place as Brooklyn has the leverage on him due to his restricted status along with the Nets being the only team with cap space to submit a substantial offer sheet to him. Assuming that Brooklyn indeed offered Thomas a two-year contract for $14.1 million per season, he could be better off taking his $5.99 million qualifying offer (QO) so that he can be an unrestricted free-agent next offseason. This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Nets' Cam Thomas' next contract could be similar to other signees
Newsweek
30 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Lakers Hiring Assistant Coach With Luka Doncic Ties: Report
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The Los Angeles Lakers made waves back in February when they acquired star point guard Luka Doncic from the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for 11-time All-Star Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a 2029 first-round pick. Fast forward six months, and the Lakers have committed three more years and $165 million in Doncic to make him the new face of the team, and some news broke on Monday that further cements the team's desire to continue investing in the 26-year-old Slovenian. In 28 games after the trade, Doncic led the Lakers in scoring (28.2 points per game), rebounds (8.1 per game), and steals (1.6 per game), and he ranked second to LeBron James in assists (7.5 per game). He also led the team with 30.2 points and 5.8 assists per game in the postseason. More Basketball: Angel Reese Sends Cryptic 3-Word Message Before Sky vs Sun Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison is still taking heat for shipping Doncic out of town, and after Monday's news, he's likely still in the dog house with a majority of the team's fans. "The Lakers are hiring Jeremy Holsopple as their new head strength and conditioning coach, @TheSteinLine has learned," NBA insider Marc Stein wrote on X. "As Dallas' athletic performance director, Holsopple was named as the NBA's top strength and conditioning coach in March 2021." Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts to his three-point basket against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second quarter of Game Four of the First Round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Target... Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts to his three-point basket against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second quarter of Game Four of the First Round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Target Center on April 27, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. MoreMore Basketball: Fever Coach Stephanie White Gives Major Caitlin Clark Injury Update The Mavericks parted ways with Holsopple, the NBA's Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year in 2021, after the NBA Finals last year. He spent the 2024-25 season out of the NBA, but now he's reuniting with Doncic, who's turned quite a few heads with his impressive offseason transformation, as documented in Men's Health magazine last month. Holsopple had been with the Mavericks from 2013 to 2024, and he was credited for helping Doncic not only keep up his strength and conditioning, but he also helped him navigate life in the WNBA as a teenage Slovenian adjusting to American culture. However, it was reported that he was fired because Harrison took issue with his influence over Doncic. "(Former director of health and performance Casey) Smith, Holsopple and (manual therapist Casey) Spangler were all longtime Mavs employees who had helped Doncic, a Slovenian who spent his adolescence in Spain, make the major cultural transition after coming to Dallas as a teenager," ESPN's Tim McMahon wrote back in February. "They had become confidantes for the superstar, but sources said Harrison saw them as 'enablers' of Doncic, despite them being immensely respected by their peers throughout the league." More Basketball: Lakers GM Rob Pelinka Drops Bold Luka Doncic Take After Massive $165M Extension
Yahoo
32 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Luka Doncic Breaks His Silence On New Lakers Contract
Luka Doncic Breaks His Silence On New Lakers Contract originally appeared on The Spun. The Los Angeles Lakers wasted no time signing Luka Doncic to an extension this offseason. On Saturday, the first day the franchise was able to offer him one, the Lakers signed the Slovenian-born superstar to a three-year, $165 million contract per ESPN's Shams Charania — with the third year being a player option. The way Los Angeles structured the deal it will make Luka eligible to sign for a massive four years, $323 million in the summer of 2027 after missing out on the supermax in Dallas. Or, by declining the option, he could sign for an even bigger five-year contract worth around $418 million at age 29. The past few months have been busy ones for Doncic who has seemingly transformed his body heading in the 2025-26 season as he looks to retake his spot as a top 2-3 player in the NBA. Taking to social media earlier today, the five-time All-Star announced the signing of his new deal to remain with the Purple & Gold. "I just signed my extension with the Lakers," Luka shared. "Excited to keep working to bring championships to LA and make Laker Nation proud. Grateful to the Lakers, my teammates and all the fans who've shown so much love since day one. This is just the beginning. 💜💛" Doncic now becomes the centerpiece of the Lakers' future with LeBron James likely heading for retirement before the decade closes out — and the organization couldn't have found a better player to hand the keys to. Since arriving in the NBA at 19, Doncic has averaged less than 27 points per game just once — and that was in his Rookie of the Year campaign with the Mavs. Additionally in his seven professional seasons stateside, he's already racked up more first-team All-NBAs than Steph Curry, Chris Paul and Kawhi Leonard — all of whom he's much younger than and all of whom will one day reside in the Naismith Hall of Fame. In his recent interview with Men's Health, Doncic shouted out Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant as inspirations for getting into tip-top shape. "Just visually, I would say my whole body looks better," Luka said. "... Every summer I try my best to work on different things. Obviously, I'm very competitive. This summer was just a little bit different, you know. It kind of motivated me to be even better." "This year, with my team, I think we did a huge step," he concluded. "But this is just the start, you know. I need to keep going. Can't stop."Luka Doncic Breaks His Silence On New Lakers Contract first appeared on The Spun on Aug 2, 2025 This story was originally reported by The Spun on Aug 2, 2025, where it first appeared.
