The Alexander clan sounds like it will be split into two factions for at least the next two weeks.
Cousins Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will put their family ties aside as the former’s Minnesota Timberwolves take on the latter’s Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals. Alexander-Walker’s mom, Nicole, is the sister of Gilgeous-Alexander’s dad, Vaughn.
On Tuesday, Alexander-Walker was asked about how their family has felt about the matchup ahead of Game 1 at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Okla. Nickeil revealed that his mom has already sent fighting words to Shai’s dad.
“After Sunday, my mom called me and told me she texted his dad saying, ‘Oh, it’s war now,'” Alexander-Walker told reporters.
“It’s all love at the end of the day. It’s a real cool feeling. When I go on my phone, it’s the only thing I see, especially from friends and family back home. I think 10 years from now, 20 years from now, I’ll be able to really appreciate the moment for what it was and to know what we were able to accomplish.
“In this time, the only thing I care about is the Wolves get four wins.”
The bond Nickeil and Shai possess has been well documented. The two grew up in Toronto, Canada, and treated each other like brothers. They played high school hoops together at Hamilton Heights Christian Academy and even shared a room at their coach’s house.
While MVP frontrunner Gilgeous-Alexander has a much brighter star in the NBA, Alexander-Walker has become an effective role player in his own right for a contending Timberwolves team.
Only one Alexander can advance out of the West. But considering Shai and Nickeil went from driveway one-on-ones to playing each other in the Western Conference Finals, the two have already won.
More must-reads: