The Oklahoma City Thunder have already proven they can reach the NBA mountaintop, but Carmelo Anthony believes Shai Gilgeous-Alexander could be even more dangerous following the disappointment of last season.
Oklahoma City entered the 2025-26 campaign as the defending NBA champion, with Gilgeous-Alexander leading one of basketball’s most talented young cores. However, a Western Conference Finals matchup against Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs prevented the Thunder from reaching a second consecutive NBA Finals.
Now, Anthony believes the experience could create an entirely different version of Oklahoma City’s superstar. Rather than questioning whether the Thunder can reclaim their championship status, the former NBA scoring champion sees a motivated Gilgeous-Alexander preparing to remind the Western Conference exactly why Oklahoma City remains a powerhouse.
Carmelo Anthony Believes Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Will Return With a Different Mindset
During a discussion shared by 7PM in Brooklyn, Anthony explained why he still considers Oklahoma City the team everyone must overcome in the Western Conference.
“For me, you still got to go through OKC,” Anthony said. “And they’ve done it, they’ve been there, and they was about to get there again and they ran up against Wemby, but they were also bruised and battered with injuries, and Chet [Holmgren] wasn’t there mentally. You get what I’m saying? They was dealing with a lot of sh**.”
Anthony’s assessment is particularly interesting because he isn’t simply predicting another successful season for Oklahoma City. He is suggesting the Thunder’s biggest advantage could be the motivation of a superstar who already knows what winning a championship feels like.
“Nothing changes for them. They coming right back… To me, Shai [Gilgeous-Alexander], when you talk about a student of this game like, who really live and bleeds and read and eat this sh** like this game of basketball,” Anthony said. “To say you’re the best player in the game and lose, that chip on your shoulder just grows, especially after you just won, right? So I think they going to have a different chip on their shoulder.”
There is a significant difference between chasing a title for the first time and trying to reclaim something that was taken away.
Gilgeous-Alexander has experienced both sides of that equation. He knows the satisfaction of reaching basketball’s highest level, but he also understands how quickly another championship opportunity can disappear. That combination could be especially dangerous for opposing teams.
Anthony also pointed toward Oklahoma City’s injuries and the difficulties surrounding Holmgren as contributing factors to the team’s playoff exit. His comments about Holmgren’s mental state represent Anthony’s personal assessment, rather than an established explanation for the Thunder’s postseason performance.
Still, his broader argument is difficult to dismiss. Oklahoma City has already demonstrated that its foundation is capable of competing for championships, and one disappointing postseason does not automatically erase that accomplishment. Perhaps the most revealing part of Anthony’s comments was his description of Gilgeous-Alexander as a genuine student of basketball.
Some superstars rely primarily on their physical gifts. Others separate themselves through an obsessive commitment to understanding the game, recognizing defensive tendencies and identifying weaknesses they can exploit.
Gilgeous-Alexander has developed a reputation for combining those qualities. His patience, footwork and ability to control the pace of possessions make him an unusually difficult assignment, even for the league’s best defenders.
What happens when a player with that approach spends an entire offseason studying why his team fell short? That is the question Anthony appears to be asking.
During Oklahoma City’s September media availability, Gilgeous-Alexander acknowledged that the previous season had taught him additional lessons about basketball. He also expressed confidence that his offseason work had made him a better player. For the rest of the Western Conference, that should be an uncomfortable possibility.
The Thunder do not necessarily need Gilgeous-Alexander to reinvent himself. They need him to continue refining the qualities that already made him one of the NBA’s most accomplished players. Anthony’s warning ultimately goes beyond individual statistics or another potential MVP campaign.
He believes Oklahoma City’s championship experience, combined with the frustration of falling short, could give the entire organization a renewed competitive edge.
The Thunder will still have to prove themselves against an increasingly difficult Western Conference, particularly with Wembanyama and San Antonio emerging as formidable competition. But Anthony is making one thing clear: Anyone expecting Oklahoma City to take a step backward might be seriously underestimating what comes next from Gilgeous-Alexander.
Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Gets Chilling Warning From Carmelo Anthony