Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been the toast of the town this year. He led the Oklahoma City Thunder to a historic NBA championship for the first time since the club relocated from Seattle to OKC. He set new scoring records and became an icon of the modern game following his unstoppable performances in the 2024-25 season. The Thunder would go on to set new records for scoring differentials, and SGA was the nucleus that propelled the Thunder to their first NBA title. Now, the 2k basketball video game has bestowed another honor on him.
Nobody could stop the Oklahoma City Thunder this season
OKC’s success has not come overnight. General Manager Sam Presti has spent the past decade wheeling and dealing to build the Thunder into a team that has the potential to dominate the NBA for many years to come. The Thunder are in a unique position as they have some of the best players in the NBA, along with significant draft capital for the future.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was channeling his inner Kobe Bryant this season. His grace and poise with the ball were unlike any player in the NBA right now. He magically drives past multiple defenders on the way to the basket. Whether you foul him or he scores, the result was inevitable this season. SGA was going to get the best out of himself this year, and he certainly did.
As the season progressed, the NBA was acutely aware of SGA’s performances, and he was easily the favorite to win the regular season MVP award, which he did. He followed that up with the overall scoring title, and once the Finals came to an end, he was awarded the Finals MVP award as well. He was also awarded the Lionel Conacher Award, which is given to Canada’s male athlete of the year.
2K Games names Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as their cover athlete
The cover of the newest 2k basketball game is the unofficial award given to the fans’ favorite player for that season. Players like Kobe Bryant and Luka Doncic have received the honor in the past. Boston Celtics superstar, Jayson Tatum, was on the cover for the 2k25 edition, but the new game set for release in October will feature SGA on the cover.
The game comes in three different versions that have three different covers. The standard edition, which is most likely going to be the highest-selling one, has SGA on the cover. Another edition will have WNBA superstar and Chicago Sky player, Angel Reese on the cover. Lastly a “legacy” edition will have NBA legend Carmello Anthony as the cover.
The Finals this season delivered for SGA and his teammates. While the Pacers are forced to reconsider their future as they will be without Tyrese Haliburton for the majority of the 2025-26 season while he recovers from a lengthy injury.
“A lot of hard work, a lot of hours in the gym. This isn’t just a win for me. This is a win for my family. This is a win for my friends. This is a win for everybody that was in my corner growing up. This is a win for the fans, the best fans in the world.” – Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander still has so much more in the tank
What we must remember is that SGA was not a star athlete from the start. He was drafted 11th overall by the Hornets before being traded to the LA Clippers. The Clippers made the decision to trade him to the Thunder in order to get Paul George. Which backfired in their faces. He would go on to become the first Canadian player ever to win the Finals MVP, something that Steve Nash should be proud of. His recent supermax extension is evidence that SGA is at the top of the world right now, and we expect more titles to come his way.
