Commitment. Discipline. Focus — All of these are qualities that every NBA MVP must have. Well, unless you’re Shaq, then you can probably get by on your dominance alone. However, these qualities didn’t come naturally for the Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. But everything changed once SGA found his guiding angel, who later became his family. Even so, there was one quality SGA always had that helped in relationships with his family, friends, and everyone else in between. We’ll get to that, but first things first.
You see, Shai’s life used to be dictated by only one person for the longest time — himself. But he grew out of these behaviors once he met his now wife, Hailey Summers. And when they welcomed their little boy, Ares, in April 2024, these changes were only solidified. Shai made this emotional confession about his family to the media during an OKC Thunder practice ahead of their round 2 series.
“When you’re not living and doing everything for yourself, before you live with a spouse and have a child, everything is on your time. You go wherever you want, whenever you want, you can get up, (and) not make the bed. You can get up, leave the cereal bowl on the table. Like, you can do whatever you want. And the moment that someone lives with you or the moment you have a kid, like, your life is not yours anymore. And you have to think about well, for me, I think about my wife and my son before I do myself, and I think that’s just, like, become second nature for me at this point,” revealed Shai.
Apr 8, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) prepares to shoot a free-throw basket during the second half of a game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
These lifestyle changes are clearly paying dividends for SGA. Not only does he have a beautiful, happy family, but his career’s also in the best spot it’s ever been. Shai is the favorite to win MVP this year despite Nikola Jokić averaging a triple-double playing as a center. That’s just how good Shai has been this season.
And his team’s also found similar success in the league this season. The Oklahoma City Thunder ended the regular season as the first seed with 68 wins. They finished the season outscoring teams by 12.9 points per game, smashing the previous mark that had stood for more than half a century! Then they swept the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the Playoffs. They now await their second-round opponents. But they’ll only find out when the Dubs and Rockets conclude their 7-game series.
Let’s get it straight… no doubt the Thunder’s incredible form is down to the chemistry between their players. And for Shai, building that chemistry came down to that quality we mentioned earlier. So let’s finally address that.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander reveals the one quality that helps him build and maintain relationships
SGA revealed in the same interview that he hadn’t really “made an emphasis on trying to make sure that I stay connected.” But we’ve all seen how the OKC Thunder players behave around each other. Goofy, unserious, and seeming to have a genuine appreciation for each other. So how’s that work? Well, it’s down to that quality we keep talking about.
“I think the way that I was raised doesn’t allow me to, like, let that stuff affect me. Like, I was always taught, no matter what’s going on like, you’re no better or worse than anybody. So, like, that’s how I see my friendships, my romantic life. That’s how I see everything. And I think that’s helped me, I guess you could call it, stay connected to the group, stay grounded,” confessed SGA. So, Shai’s ability to remain grounded and never look down on anyone became the driving force behind all his relationships as an adult.
Feb 8, 2025; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) reacts during the second quarter against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
But he also confessed that his OKC teammates made that process really simple for him. “But, yeah, the guys make it easy to be a part of. They’re super fun, easy to connect with. We have a blast, as you guys can see. [They] make my life easy,” added Shai. And don’t we all want that? As an outsider, you’d think Shai has it all. A loving family, friends who help him achieve his goals, and make your life easier. But only Shai knows how much he has to grow to get to this point.
But it all seems to have paid off in the end. And we couldn’t be happier for the OKC Thunder star if we tried! But, how do you think the season will fare for the team and the star? Let us know in the comments below.
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