Gilgeous-Alexander, king of the NBA

This isn't the first time a Canadian has dominated the sport in the United States. During the 1980s and 1990s, Wayne Gretzky was the most dazzling star of the NHL . Now, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has repeated the sacrilege by bringing the Americans back to victory.

The 26-year-old Toronto point guard has just been crowned the new king of the NBA. He led the Oklahoma City Thunder to their second NBA title . The first ring, in 1979, came when the franchise was still playing in Seattle under the name Supersonics.

Very exclusive club Only Abdul-Jabbar, Jordan and O'Neal had won all three individual awards of the season.

“This doesn't seem real. It's been so many hours, so many moments, so many emotions, so many nights imagining it... It's crazy, but this group has earned it. We've worked hard, and we deserve it,” Gilgeous-Alexander said on the court after defeating the Indiana Pacers in the final game (103-91).

Without a successful shooting night, Shai scored 29 points, leading the game. This was the general trend of a season in which the Oklahoma team was already the best in the regular season with 68 wins and 14 losses. In the playoffs, they defeated the Grizzlies, Nuggets, Timberwolves, and Pacers.

Against Indiana, the Thunder's No. 2 averaged 30.3 points, earning him the Finals MVP honor, which adds to his regular season MVP and season scoring title (with 32.7 points). These three individual awards in the same year catapult him into a super-exclusive club that only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1971), Michael Jordan (four times), and Shaquille O'Neal (2000) have ever entered. Between the three of them, they have 16 rings.

In 2019 Paul George wanted to go to the Clippers and the Angels sent young Shai, who had been in the NBA for one season, to Oklahoma.

The Thunder, coached by Mark Daigneault and with Sam Presti as general manager, face the challenge of repeating their feat next season—no one has done so since 2018. They won't be short on youth, as none of their starters (Dort, Jalen Williams, Holmgren, and Hartenstein) are over 27. They will also select twice in the first round (15th and 24th overall) of the draft on the 26th.

Created in 2008, before Shai, other stars like Durant, Harden, Westbrook, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul, and Paul George had worn their jerseys without coming close to winning championships. However, in 2019, the trade that would change the history of the franchise took place. George wanted to go to the Clippers to join Leonard, and the Los Angeles Lakers sent young Shai, who had been in the NBA for one season, Italian Gallinari, and three first-round draft picks to Oklahoma. Needless to say, who won the trade.

Gilgeous-Alexander's mother (12/7/1998) was an athlete in the 1990s. The Antiguan-Barbuda sprinter competed in the 400 meters at the Barcelona '92 Games, though she lost in the preliminary rounds with a time of 55.48 seconds. The boy grew up in Canada and moved to the US to attend high school in Chattanooga. From there, he was recruited by the University of Kentucky, where he only spent one year before jumping into the NBA. "We each have our own gifts," his son explained about his selection. Seven years later, he's a champion.

The example of her athlete mother His mother was an Olympian in the 400 meters at Barcelona '92. "We each have our own gifts," says his son.

The pivotal moment of Game 7 of the finals came in the first quarter when the Pacers' star Haliburton was injured. Seven minutes in, the visiting point guard collapsed after noticing his right leg giving way: he had ruptured his Achilles tendon. Haliburton, who had made three three-pointers at the start (18-16), lay on the ground crying and angrily pounding the hardwood.

The first Thunder player to approach was Gilgeous-Alexander. “My heart sank for him. I never imagined something like this would happen in the most important game of my life. It made me so sad. My prayers are with him. He's a great player,” he explained about his opponent.

Shai, the face of the Converse brand, is an atypical king in a basketball game where he's shooting from ever-farther distances. He only made eight three-pointers in the seven games of the finals. It's his rule.