“Cocky In My Own Way”: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Sheds ‘Humble’ Side After Leading OKC’s 2-0 Assault vs Pelicans

Amongst the players making waves during the ongoing NBA tournament, the name of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander seems to be getting increasingly mentioned. His consistency and his effort as the team leading’s scorer helped the Oklahoma City Thunder establish a suitable win record during the regular season and qualify for the playoffs. SGA’s contribution is paying off here too, as OKC recently secured a 2-0 record against the New Orleans Pelicans.

In the aftermath of Game 2, Gilgeous-Alexander engaged in a ‘Q&A’ session with several media members. During the same, he was asked his thoughts on Chet Holmgrem’s post-game words: “He’s (Gilgeous Alexander) too humble to say it, but this is the MVP right here. MVP of the league. Imma say it for him cause he won’t say it”. Keeping the ‘MVP’ praise on the side, the 2x NBA All-Star focused on whether the remark about his nature had any truth to it.

“I’m humble but cocky in my own way, I’d say. “I have a lot of confidence. I don’t always exert it and show it but I’m a very confident guy”, he said. Both these remarks were made after the OKC defeated the Pelicans 124-92. Leading the youngest reported playoff team in the history of the NBA, SGA dropped his highest postseason score of 33 points, 3 rebounds, and 5 assists.

Holmgren himself provided a significant contribution in the form of 26 points. With the recent win, along with the previous one, bringing the franchise one step closer to the next stage of the playoffs, no wonder he was so confident in giving out the ‘MVP’ title to his teammate.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander once mentioned learning the art of humbleness from his mother

In a sport like the NBA, where players need to maintain a competitive drive to succeed, it’s not rare for them to sometimes display a certain level of arrogance. However, Gilgeous-Alexander is someone who doesn’t let the situation decide his on-court temperament. If there is someone who can be credited for teaching this quality to the 2x NBA All-Star, then that is his mother, Charmaine Gilgeous.

“Growing up, with anything we did, she never let us get cocky,” Gilgeous-Alexander said, during an interview back in 2019. “She always told us and showed us to have confidence in ourselves, but never take it overboard. Keep it as confidence.” Charmaine Gilgeous knows the challenges that come with being a professional sportsperson.

After all, she herself was a former track athlete and sprinter, who represented Antigua and Barbuda during the 1992 Summer Olympics. While the NBA player has admitted that her mother “doesn’t like to talk” about her sports career, it certainly didn’t stop him from taking in the valuable lessons that she provided.

It’s safe to say that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s patience and ‘humble’ nature have served him well till now.