The Oklahoma City Thunder have a star who sounds just as comfortable defending his favorite rapper as he does getting to his spots on the basketball court. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is firmly in Drake’s corner. And he knows his opinion tends to get a reaction.
During an interview shared by Spotify, Gilgeous-Alexander called Drake the greatest rapper of all time and praised his “Iceman” album. The conversation also included a more personal moment when the interviewer brought up a lyric referencing the Thunder guard. His explanation turned an unexpected shoutout into a reminder of his scoring ability.
“Whenever I say Drake is the greatest rapper of all time, all the older guys go crazy, but that’s about it,” Gilgeous-Alexander said.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Gives Drake His Vote
Gilgeous-Alexander did not stop at the career comparison. He also named “Iceman” his favorite album of the year, explaining what made the project stand out to him. His reasoning went beyond liking a handful of songs.
“I think Iceman is the best album of 2026,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “One, I think it has no skips.”
He also pointed to the storyline and back-and-forth surrounding the music, praising Drake’s ability to produce within that context. That assessment is his opinion, of course, and music fans will have their own rankings. But there was little uncertainty about where the Thunder star stood.
The entertaining part is that Gilgeous-Alexander already understands the disagreement. His reference to older listeners pushing back suggests this is a conversation he has had before. Rather than soften his stance, he delivered it with the confidence of someone comfortable defending his choice.
Drake Lyric Gives Thunder Star a Laugh
The interview took another turn when the discussion reached Drake’s reference to Gilgeous-Alexander scoring 30 points against someone’s boyfriend. Hearing his name in the song initially required a second listen. Even a player accustomed to attention wanted to confirm what he had heard.
“I was confused at first,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “I had to play it back to see if he actually said my name.”
Once he confirmed the reference, confusion gave way to amusement. Gilgeous-Alexander said he laughed, then pointed out that the scoring scenario hardly narrowed down the possible opponent. He has had enough 30-point nights for the description to fit plenty of different NBA matchups.
“I laughed a little bit and interestingly enough. I have had 30 plenty of times in my career so really, truly, he could be talking about anybody. I think it’s a great bar,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “It’s genius.”
That response gave the exchange its best basketball connection. Drake used his scoring reputation to make the lyric work, and Gilgeous-Alexander answered by casually noting how often he reaches that number. For Thunder fans, it was a chance to hear their star discuss something outside the game while still finding a way to bring the conversation back to buckets.
Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Calls Drake the GOAT, Admits One Lyric Left Him Confused