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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander hit the smoothest shot over his cousin in the WCF

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander hit the smoothest shot over his cousin in the WCF

USA Today21-05-2025

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander hit the smoothest shot over his cousin in the WCF
We've all had that one moment with the basketball in the backyard. It's you against your cousin or sibling, going at it one-on-one for the championship. What championship? Nobody knows, really. You're just playing ball. And, if you win, you get bragging rights until the next day when you do it all over again.
You can just picture the moment in your head now. You've got the ball. Your cousin plays up on you pretty tightly — you're probably getting fouled, honestly, but whatever. You're imagining the clock winding down and putting up that last shot to win the game.
You probably bricked the shot, but who cares? You had a good time. And, best of all, you got to spend time with the homie. That's what matters in the end.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nickeil Alexander-Walker got to live out that scenario in real life on one of the biggest stages the NBA has to offer.
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The two got a chance to go at it during the Western Conference Finals. Shai got a sweet bucket on cuzzo right here.
These two have probably had moments just like this so many times growing up together. They played on the same basketball teams growing up until SGA went to college at Kentucky in 2017 and NAW went to Virginia Tech.
Shai said he felt a bit bad about having to play his cousin in the Western Conference Finals because of how close they are, but he certainly didn't show any mercy on that jumper. That's probably a bit of revenge for the trash talk NAW gave him in the group chat.
It's all good, though. Alexander-Walker got a bit of revenge a few plays later when this foul got overturned and Shai ended up on the ground.
This is such a fun matchup to watch. These two will have a lot to talk about over the summer, no matter how this series ends.

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