It is said that those who are truly good do not need to shout it from the rooftops. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander may have broken that rule. The Oklahoma City Thunder guard, holder of the last two MVP awards and the 2025 Finals MVP, says he believes he has combined the necessary successes to regard himself as the best player on the planet. “I think I am the best player in the NBA,” he tells the TIME magazine.
“I think the output I deliver night after night is at that level. I think the efficiency with which I do it is at that level. Anyone who picks up a basketball, soccer ball, or tennis ball is in it to win the game. And I have won enough in these past couple of years [to be considered as such],” he rounds out his argument.
Beyond the headline, the piece is a wide-ranging profile that details SGA’s journey from his beginnings in the humble Hamilton, Ontario. The improbable story of a youngster who has never stopped improving until perhaps becoming the best basketball player on the planet. Or at least to feel that way.
