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Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander makes ‘stubborn’ Pacers admission

Originally posted on NBA on ClutchPoints
By Benjamin Adducchio | Last updated Jun 3, 2025 10:15 AM ET

Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is impressed by what he sees from the Indiana Pacers. Gilgeous-Alexander sees a team that is willing to pick up the pace.

“They play fast. They’re stubborn in the way they play,” Gilgeous-Alexander said, per The Oklahoman. “They play like that no matter the game, no matter the environment, no matter the round or stage. They play to their identity, and that’s why they’ve been really good.”

Oklahoma City and Indiana meet in the NBA Finals, with a chance to get the Thunder’s first league championship. The club upended the Minnesota Timberwolves in five games, in the Western Conference Finals.

Oklahoma City and Indiana meet in Game 1 on Thursday night, in Oklahoma City. Indiana defeated the New York Knicks in six games in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been incredible for the Thunder this year

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) shoots against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the fourth quarter during game five of the western conference finals for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Paycom Center. Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Gilgeous-Alexander finished the season as the NBA’s Most Valuable Player. He is a three-time NBA All-Star, who has made the last three All Star selections.

This season, the Thunder’s star guard has averaged 32.7 points per game, while shooting better than 51 percent from the field. He is also this year’s NBA scoring champion.

“It’s been a roller coaster,” Gilgeous-Alexander said, per the Associated Press. “I had nights where I thought I wasn’t good at basketball, had nights where I thought I was the best player in the world before I was. It’s been ups and downs. My mentality to try to stay level through it all really helped me. Once I figured that out, I really saw jumps in my game.”

The rise of Gilgeous-Alexander as a star in the NBA has been impressive. He was selected as the 11th overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. He remembers that night well.

“All the moments I got, like, cut, traded, slighted, overlooked,” he said. “But also all the joy, all the things that my family has comforted me in, all the life lessons. Everything that’s turned me into the man and the human being that I am today.”

Thunder fans hope that Gilgeous-Alexander can deliver that elusive NBA title. Oklahoma City won one NBA championship, when they were the Seattle Supersonics. That title season was in 1979.

This article first appeared on NBA on ClutchPoints and was syndicated with permission.

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