Everything came together for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Still feeling the scars of falling five wins shy of going back-to-back, the two-time MVP winner enjoyed a nice pick-me-up a little over a month after as we're amid the hottest part of the summer.
Canada picked up a relaxing 110-84 win over Puerto Rico in the 2026 FIBA World Cup qualifier. Gilgeous-Alexander parachuted in and scored an easy 26 points in front of his hometown of Hamilton, Ontario. To make things even more special, the court was designed with his logo on the baselines.
Most of Canada's top NBA players sat this out. But Gilgeous-Alexander had every incentive to suit up. With the 2027 FIBA World Cup and 2028 Olympics right around the corner, the program hopes to build off its most successful stint of international hoops thanks to his ascension as an all-time great.
Gilgeous-Alexander also had the chance to play alongside cousin Nickeil Alexander-Walker. That hasn't happened since their high school days. The former went to the more prestigious Kentucky before becoming a one-and-done lottery pick. Meanwhile, the latter had to play multiple years at Virginia Tech.
Even though both are success stories on their own, their paths have taken completely different roads. Gilgeous-Alexander has turned into one of the NBA's best players this era. He led the Oklahoma City Thunder to the Larry O'Brien trophy. His accolade list is as long as a CVS receipt.
Canada picked up a relaxing 110-84 win over Puerto Rico in the 2026 FIBA World Cup qualifier. Gilgeous-Alexander parachuted in and scored an easy 26 points in front of his hometown of Hamilton, Ontario. To make things even more special, the court was designed with his logo on the baselines.
Most of Canada's top NBA players sat this out. But Gilgeous-Alexander had every incentive to suit up. With the 2027 FIBA World Cup and 2028 Olympics right around the corner, the program hopes to build off its most successful stint of international hoops thanks to his ascension as an all-time great.
Gilgeous-Alexander also had the chance to play alongside cousin Nickeil Alexander-Walker. That hasn't happened since their high school days. The former went to the more prestigious Kentucky before becoming a one-and-done lottery pick. Meanwhile, the latter had to play multiple years at Virginia Tech.
Even though both are success stories on their own, their paths have taken completely different roads. Gilgeous-Alexander has turned into one of the NBA's best players this era. He led the Oklahoma City Thunder to the Larry O'Brien trophy. His accolade list is as long as a CVS receipt.
3 months ago
