Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Speaks On ‘Dream Come True’ of NBA All-Star Game, Increased Fame
You’ve talked so much about staying present in this kind of moment now that you’ve gone through it just how do you reflect on how it went and what it meant to you yeah it was fun um I’ve said so many times you dream about it as a kid um when it gets here
You think you’re ready for it you’re not uh but it’s seral so I know it’s the second time now being an allar but the the allstar start or not and just being on every billboard it seemed like in the city being plasted everywhere in the convention center everything just how do
You process this what does all this mean now this time around yeah it’s um a dream come true uh every kid dreams and and sees um like brought on the billboard in Cleveland um you dream that one day it could be you um in for to to to kind of come to life
And me to be able to see it is something I can’t describe yeah and I I know Oklahoma City is not the world does it feel like now you guys are in contention for number one in the west you’re doing your thing does it feel like you’re starting to generate that buzz outside
Of OKC to the rest of the world up um yeah for sure um teams are starting to kind of not take a slightely take notice of us um we knew that was going to happen once we started winning games uh it comes with the territory and uh we
Got to be ready every night just going up off of that with Canadian landscape and what you’ve been able to do does a year like this affirm just where this program is headed for your headed long-term and big picture Thunder or can Canada basketball Canada basketball um yeah for sure
Uh it’s under theise um so many talented young guys guys in my age guys older than us um we have a good crop of of talent in Canada um and as we continue to get more exposure keep working um it only keep going up does it make it more
Special to be able to represent on this stage the way that you have for your countryes absolutely um country means the world to me uh gave me an opportunity and without it I wouldn’t be here uh so fortunate to be from there like it’s kids all over the world I just
Don’t get opportunity because where they’re born um I don’t take that for granted so to kind of wear it on my back I think our woman had had the flag on on the back um special feeling to that to that point U Stefan mber the other day
Called you I don’t know if it’s hard he called you the the best Canadian basketball player ever um what is steeve n when you hear that what do you think um I appreciate it but Steve is still ahead of me uh I’m going try to catch
Him but he’s still ahead of me but it’s it’s whenever somebody says good things about you it’s a it’s a compliment um obviously he was a heck of a basketball player um knows the game really well um and I appreciate him being here this weekend seeing your face all over the
All over the city your AT&T game at the crossover does it feel like your star has risen a little bit more even more than been last year um for sure uh it’s one of those things that I expected to happen um as I got better at the basketball player as I became more
Consistent um it’s uh it comes with it it’s fun um stuff you dream about is it t getting tougher to handle that s uh not at all uh like I said um I’ve been uh dreaming about like this this moment this point in my career uh I know what
Comes with it and uh I got I embrace it and then you’ve been doing your thing with Converse all week and um seem like they’re perfect pit for you what why is it what or what makes it a perfect pit for you um I think just the underdog mentality that the
Brand kind of has um that I have had my whole career um our story is kind of align with that and then uh just I think we have the same vision for the future of comence basketball and kind of the same creative Direction sh so many great experiences
That you take from Allstar weekends what’s the one EXP exp or experiences that you can take from this year you can car for years to come even motivate you for the rest of the season this allar weekend yeah um I think just seeing what it means to the fans um throughout the
Weekend is special um and kind of seeing it come full circle uh there’s times when I was that kid um waiting outside the hotel or running around the convention center um when they see a star so just kind of embracing that and and kind of remembering what it feels
Like to be on the other side of it um and not taking it for granted league as a two-way player and you know you see an Allstar chain like this like all the bre and everything like for you just REM moving from the allstar part of it how do you defend the
Three-o in the league today um it’s tough uh guys have become so good at it and shoot it from shoot it from so far um you just got to try to get up in guys air space and run them off the line uh how how much
Imp on you this summer oh a lot he um obviously a new coach coming into a group of guys that know each other um it’s hard situation he did a great job connecting with guys earning our trust um and because of it we had success Thunder players out here this
Weekend you guys have a chance to bond together at all yeah we did a few things together um me and jayen were at me and Jaylen were at all sudden Allstar Saturday night last night um we had a like we had a shoot together um I saw
Chad a little bit but uh yeah I’m tired of seeing those guys I’ll see them in Tuesday are there any new relationships that you created from this weekend from the all stars that maybe new guys but you have to know them on another level just being around them um a little bit
Uh I knew pretty much everyone uh on the same on the same level um obviously you don’t know him like the back of your hand cuz your team but I I pretty much knew all the guys already is there any particular format that stands out to you
The best in past all stars or do you quite like this one I mean the NBA is pretty good at like switching things up if it doesn’t work do you like this one man I like EAS and West talk about the fit my FIT um the inspiration of um this jacket is uh
101 pant are 101 um shoes of Balenciaga um doag from Walmart not joking um pins from Amazon uh one of them’s Tiffany uh girls girls earrings My Jeweler um that’s about it what about the game shoes what went the Construction and design of those um honestly
Uh the uh Commerce team just uh like surprised me with them um I didn’t know they were coming um but had a super fire I love them I honestly can’t give you answer I don’t know where they came from but um shout out to the team for sure so
You were asked about um just the relationships you and guys that you know you’re not around all the time maybe what you picked up in terms of relationships stuff like that but on court I know you and yic had something going at the start of that game is there
Anything you’re watching in a in a setting like this maybe you can learn from the more serious setting are are you learning anything about other guys around here this weekend yeah the game was so like not serious I didn’t like nothing I ain’t going to lie um we were
Just running around trying to score yeah I Ain really I know you want a break but are you looking forward to getting back to yeah I’m ready to get back U my my break has been long enough yeah would you say you’re the would you say that you’re the face of fashion when
It comes to the NBA I mean you just have an Indescribable wardrobe and everybody seems to love it um would you say I’m the face of fashion I would say you’re the face of fashion the ton of f I’m going go with that answer appreciate more does CH deserve any
Credit for yourself out you today um yes he does ever since uh Chad did it everyone else followed and I don’t know where that came from I don’t um mine was better than chess though mine was in traffic too with a guy on my head what you think what you think of
Playing with all these Kentucky guys and just having all these guys back around yeah it’s cool uh um we obviously all gone through the same thing played for a crazy coach um made it out the jungle uh now K does a really good job of getting guys prepared for this level and that’s
Why we have so much success um to Testament to his personality his coaching um and his his his love and and and IQ for the game uh he’s heck of a coach thank you sha thanks everybody
Oklahoma City Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander spoke to reporters after the 2024 NBA All-Star Game, describing his involvement as a “dream come true.”
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