Joe Murphy/NBAE through Getty Photographs
Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has emerged as a high participant within the NBA, ending second in MVP voting and main his staff to the highest seed within the Western Convention.
However in response to his teammate Chet Holmgren, he is “tremendous chill” and sees himself as equal to the remainder of his squad. Per The Athletic’s Anthony Slater, Holmgren referenced an iconic Kobe Bryant story to clarify how Gilgeous-Alexander differs from different NBA greats.
“He is tremendous chill,” Holmgren stated. “Normally it is simply sort of speaking us by errors. He is not in right here reigning like Kobe (Bryant) was. He is not the kind of man who’d take his (signature) footwear away as a result of he does not need us sporting them. That is not him.”
In response to Slater, Holmgren was referring to a narrative he heard on a podcast about Bryant taking away his teammates’ footwear after an embarrassing loss. On The Huge Podcast, former Los Angeles Laker Lou Williams stated Bryant did not need his teammates sporting his signature footwear anymore following a foul efficiency.
Whereas that sort of management boded effectively in Los Angeles because the Lakers gained 5 championships throughout Bryant’s tenure, Gilgeous-Alexander’s extra relaxed strategy has led to an impressive 12 months from a younger Thunder staff.
Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 30.1 factors, 6.2 assists, 5.5 rebounds and two steals in the course of the common season as Oklahoma Metropolis went 57-25 to say the highest seed within the West. His excellent play has carried into the postseason as he put up 27.3 factors per sport in a first-round sweep in opposition to the New Orleans Pelicans and is averaging 31.4 factors in opposition to the Dallas Mavericks within the ongoing convention semifinals.
Behind Gilgeous-Alexander’s management, the Thunder gained their first playoff collection since Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook led Oklahoma Metropolis to the Western Convention finals in 2016. The Thunder now are down 3-2 within the collection in opposition to the Mavericks however will look to pressure a Sport 7 on Saturday.