Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has emerged as the frontrunner for the 2024-25 NBA MVP, delivering a dominant season that has captivated the league. With his elite scoring ability, clutch performances, and leadership, many wonder where he drew his inspiration. Surprisingly, while Michael Jordan is widely regarded as the greatest of all time, Gilgeous-Alexander’s father, Vaughn Alexander, revealed that his son’s biggest influence wasn’t Jordan—but rather Allen Iverson and Kobe Bryant.
Jordan may be Gilgeous-Alexander’s all-time favorite player, but according to Vaughn, who recently appeared on the Gil’s Arena podcast, it was Iverson who had the biggest impact on Shai’s game. “Jordan’s the best that ever played, Iverson’s my guy. That’s just my opinion,” Vaughn said. “Everyone can have their guy. But with Shai, it’s Kobe and then Iverson for him. He doesn’t put Jordan up there.”
Gilgeous-Alexander himself admitted that Iverson was the player he gravitated toward the most: “It’s a new generation, right? He didn’t really get to watch [Jordan] as much,” Vaughn added. “[Shai] saw Kobe. [Shai] saw Iverson. Iverson was his main guy.”
Vaughn also shared a moment that highlighted his son’s admiration for AI, even over Canadian basketball icon Vince Carter: “No disrespect to Vince, but when Vince was in Toronto, I’m from Toronto, right? When Vince was in Toronto in 2001, they went to Game 7, and he missed that jump shot. We were in the stands with Iverson jerseys on.”
Michael Jordan of the Chicago Bulls looks on during an NBA game.
Gilgeous-Alexander’s fearless, aggressive style of play reflects the influence of Iverson, a player who wasn’t always the league’s most popular figure but still inspired an entire generation to emulate his relentless approach.
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Vaughn Alexander on the MVP race
While Shai is the current betting favorite for MVP, Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokić remains his top competition. Vaughn Alexander, however, made it clear where he stands—even acknowledging Jokić’s brilliance.
“If he wasn’t my son, I’d be like, ‘Yo, this is the MVP, bro,’” Vaughn said. “And I rate what Jokić is doing. What Jokić is doing is crazy. Let’s keep it real. I don’t even want to say this on air, but if [Shai] didn’t win it, I wouldn’t say he got robbed—because what Jokić is doing is insane.” However, Vaughn ultimately doubled down on his belief that Gilgeous-Alexander deserves the award: “But having said all that, f*** that. Shai’s the MVP.”
Why Shai deserves MVP, according to his father
With league-leading scoring numbers and a historic season for the Thunder, Gilgeous-Alexander has built a case as the clear MVP. Vaughn highlighted his son’s dominance this season, pointing out his consistent excellence:
“50, 40-point games. First-Team All-NBA three years straight,” Vaughn said. “He’s playing on the youngest team, and they’ve got 61 wins. What are they? Denver is 13 or 14 games behind us. Stop this. Just give it to him this year, and then we can talk about it next year.”
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As of now, FanDuel Sportsbook lists Gilgeous-Alexander (-5000) as the heavy favorite over Jokić (+1600) in the MVP race, further reinforcing his dominance this season. With the Thunder primed for a deep playoff run, Shai’s influence continues to grow—just as his childhood idol Allen Iverson’s once did.
