May 28, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) celebrates with Magic Johnson West Conference Finals MVP trophy after defeating the Minnesota Timberwolves in game five to win the western conference finals for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

OKC Thunder Star’s Snub to Ex-Sixers Player Earns Respect

Originally posted on Philadelphia 76ers on SI
By Justin Grasso | Last updated Jun 2, 2025 3:58 PM ET

Patrick Beverley thought it was all business when Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander snubbed him for a handshake earlier in the Western Conference Finals series between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Minnesota Timberwolves.

When Beverley hopped on ‘The Pat Bev Pod’ to discuss Gilgeous-Alexander’s move, he actually praised the MVP’s move in the sequence. Being a fierce competitor himself, the former Philadelphia 76ers guard understood where the superstar guard was coming from.

“I go to Shai after the game to dap him up. He says, ‘I ain’t gonna lie I can’t dap you up right now, OG. Wild. You got on that [expletive] jersey.’ Jersey I had on was Anthony Edwards. That’s the mindset you have to have. Don’t even come near me with that jersey. I respect it. I like it. That’s how you have to be. I knew where it was coming from, it’s coming from a good place, it’s coming from an organic place, and he’s locked in. That’s what I took from that. He’s locked in right now, I love it.”

SGA didn’t even want to dap up @patbev21 because he had on a Ant jersey…. Yea he’s locked in pic.twitter.com/OuSfBfiMK2
— Pat Bev Pod (@PatBevPod) May 28, 2025

This season, the Thunder have been on a mission to make their first NBA Finals of the SGA era. They dominated the regular season, clinching the Western Conference’s top seed by a mile.

They met with the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs and pulled off a sweep. Round two against the Denver Nuggets was more of a challenge, as the series went seven games, but the Thunder took care of business and punched their ticket to the Western Conference Finals to meet with the Timberwolves.

Beverley was showing support to Minnesota during Game 4 since the Timberwolves are one of his many former teams. Despite showing the most support to Anthony Edwards, the most prominent star on the other side of SGA in the series, Beverley left that series with even more respect for the league’s current MVP.

This article first appeared on Philadelphia 76ers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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