OKC Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is not holding back in putting himself above fellow current NBA greats Nikola Jokic and Victor Wembanyama.
In an interview with TIME Magazine, Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning two-time NBA MVP, declared he is the best player in the NBA today. Gilgeous-Alexander’s statement puts him above Jokic and Wembanyama, who also had cases in the best-in-the-world conversions.
“I think I’m the best player in the NBA. I think the production that I have night in and night out is best-player-in-the-NBA production,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “I’ve done my fair share of winning in these past couple years.”
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Has The Right To Say This
This comes after his back-to-back regular-season MVP awards, a historic 2025 NBA title, and breaking Wilt Chamberlain’s record for consecutive 20+ point games last season.
His mid-range game, driving ability and low turnover rate make him one of the NBA’s most reliable offensive weapons. In 2025, he also became just the fourth player in NBA history to win a championship, MVP and scoring title in the same season, joining Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan and Shaquille O’Neal.
Gilgeous-Alexander has averaged over 30 points per game for four straight seasons, combining elite two-way perimeter defense with historic offensive efficiency.
Beyond his historic offensive output, his disruptive perimeter defense and clutch shot-making complete his two-way dominance.
For many, Jokic remains widely regarded as the NBA’s best player as the three-time NBA MVP. Others in the best-in-the-world conversations are Los Angeles Lakers’ Luka Doncic, Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo, San Antonio Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama, Minnesota Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards, and Boston Celtics’ Jayson Tatum.
Last season, Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 31.1 points, 6.6 assists, and 4.3 rebounds per game, but the Thunder lost to Wembanyama’s Spurs in the Western Conference Finals.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Takes All The Blame In Thunder’s Loss Vs Spurs
The Thunder and the Spurs faced off in one of the most intense playoff series in recent history during the 2026 NBA Western Conference Finals.
The Thunder lost in Game 7, allowing the Spurs to advance to the NBA Finals, where they lost in five games against the New York Knicks.
Gilgeous-Alexander took all the blame in the loss, saying that he felt awful not to play his best earlier in the series.
“The MVP of the league waited until Game 7 to have a good game,” he said in the same TIME Magazine interview.
Gilgeous-Alexander added that Chet Holmgren did not deserve the hate from the series. Holmgren was the center of most backfire after the defeat.
“I don’t think it’s on Chet. I carry a lot of the weight. The only way you can truly fail is if you don’t learn from the moment. I know the type of guy he is. And I know what type of worker he is. He’ll definitely do it,” he said.
Matched up against Wembanyama, Holmgren struggled during the 2026 Western Conference Finals against the Spurs, averaging 11.1 points and 7.1 rebounds per game over the seven-game series as the Thunder were eliminated.
Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder are expected to lead the team once more as they look to regain the crown in a now-loaded landscape.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Makes Bold Declaration Over Jokic And Wembanyama