Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander isn’t letting last season’s ultimate success cloud his judgment. While proud of helping lead the Thunder to the 2025 NBA championship, the reigning MVP admitted that the team’s title run didn’t reflect its full potential.
“Honestly speaking, I didn’t like the way we won, if that makes sense,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “I didn’t think we won an NBA championship playing our best basketball.
“That was the first time we’d been that far in the playoffs, so it was a learning experience for us. But it takes another level of focus, discipline, assertiveness, aggression, to be who we were in the regular season, and do that throughout the postseason.”
Despite his MVP campaign, Gilgeous-Alexander made it clear that he still sees plenty of room for improvement in his game.
“I would say pretty far away,” he admitted. “There’s just so many areas of basketball, I feel like, especially at my position, having the ball as much as I do. … I’m the point of attack offensively. There’s playing without the ball.
“There’s different levels of scoring. There’s the complete other side of the ball. There’s scoring in transition. There’s just so many sides and parts to the game that the greatest players have mastered.”
Gilgeous-Alexander reflected on the level of basketball IQ he aspires to reach, referencing a former NBA standout.
“I’ve heard coaches talk about playing against (former NBA All-Star Rajon) Rondo, and it’s almost like you’re playing against a coach on the floor. He knows all your plays, and he knows what you’re going to do next,” he said.
“There’s just so many angles and ways that you can give yourself and your team an edge to win a basketball possession, a quarter, and then ultimately a game. So until I kind of get my grips on all of those, which will probably be a long time, I’d say pretty far away.”
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Not Satisfied With Winning 2025 Title https://t.co/fI8A4uqaIW
— RealGM (@RealGM) November 8, 2025
