Shai Gilgeous-Alexander issues major warning to the NBA about the Oklahoma City Thunder

The Oklahoma City Thunder are finishing the 2024-25 NBA regular season with an impressive level of play. They’ve led the Western Conference almost flawlessly since the start of the season, and with just a few weeks remaining, they remain at the top of the standings with an incredible record of 61-12. However, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is clear about where their focus needs to be.

“It’s cool, but it doesn’t mean much,” Gilgeous-Alexander said, commenting on the fact that the Thunder have surpassed the franchise’s historic single-season wins record. “It’s cool, but it doesn’t fill our cup.”

These words from the Canadian guard came during a post-game press conference following the Thunder’s 125-104 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday night at Paycom Center. “We know we’re a good basketball team, and we’ve done a really good job of staying the course this year,” Gilgeous-Alexander stated.

The true goal for the Thunder

After clarifying that statistics are not the priority for the Oklahoma City Thunder, Gilgeous-Alexander explained what truly matters to them. “My ultimate goal, our team’s ultimate goal, is not to set franchise records in wins. It’s to hoist a trophy at the end of the season, and that’s what we’re after,” he said.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 of the Oklahoma City Thunder reacts in the final seconds of their 135-119 win over the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena on February 28, 2025

“The things that we’re after, you don’t let a team be more motivated than you, come in here, and walk all over you if you want to win a championship, and that’s what we’re after,” the guard added. “We look up and we’re getting things done because we take it day by day, and that’s just what that is. That’s what the testament is.”

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Finally, Shai explained what has been the secret to the Thunder’s success: “What it takes to win a championship, we want to walk in and embody every day, and I think that’s why we’ve had success so far, because we try to take those steps towards that direction.”

Gilgeous-Alexander has another motivation

As he mentioned during his post-game press conference on Thursday night, the driving force behind the Oklahoma City Thunder’s impressive performances is the desire to secure the franchise’s first-ever championship title. However, for Gilgeous-Alexander, this season means more as well.

He’s also in pursuit of a huge achievement: becoming the best player in the NBA. Gilgeous-Alexander is currently leading the league in points per game, with a career-high 32.9. With just a few games left in the season, he’s on the verge of becoming the NBA’s scoring champion for the first time.

And that’s not all. There’s growing consensus that Gilgeous-Alexander will be named the league’s MVP, surpassing other stars like Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo. If the guard manages to earn both of these honors and leads the Thunder to the title, he will cement his place in NBA history forever.