ALL-STAR GAME

February 18, 2024

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Western Conference

Press Conference

East 211, West 186

Q. Shai, you've talked so much about staying present in this kind of moment. Now that you've gone through it, how do you reflect on what it meant to you?

SHAI GILGEOUS-ALEXANDER: It was fun. I've said so many times you dream about it as a kid. When you get here, you think you're ready for it, but you're not.

Q. I know it's your second time now, but just being on every billboard in the city, being plastered in the convention center, everywhere, how do you process this? What does all this mean?

SHAI GILGEOUS-ALEXANDER: It's a dream come true. Every kid dreams and sees, like, Bron on billboard in Cleveland, and you dream one day it can be you. To see it come to life, I can't describe it.

Q. I know that Oklahoma City is not the world. But now you're number 1 in the west. Does it feel like you're starting to generate that buzz outside of OKC to the rest of the world?

SHAI GILGEOUS-ALEXANDER: Yeah, for sure. I think we're starting to kind of see others take notice of us. We knew that was going to happen once we started winning games. It comes with the territory.

Q. Shai, just following up with that with the media landscape and what you've been able to do. Does this affirm where this program is headed and where you're headed long term?

SHAI GILGEOUS-ALEXANDER: For the Thunder or for Canada basketball?

Q. Canada basketball.

SHAI GILGEOUS-ALEXANDER: Yeah, for sure, it's on the rise. So many talented young guys, guys my age, guys older than us. We have a good crop of talent in Canada. As we continue to get more exposure, keep working, we'll keep going up.

Q. Does it make it more special to represent on this stage the way that you have for your country?

SHAI GILGEOUS-ALEXANDER: Absolutely. The country means the world to me. It gave me an opportunity. Otherwise, I wouldn't be here. So fortunate to be from there. Kids all over the world just don't get the opportunity because of where they're born. I don't take that for granted.

To kind of have the flag on my back, it's a special feeling.

Q. To that point, Stephon Marbury called you the best Canadian basketball player ever. To hear that, what do you think?

SHAI GILGEOUS-ALEXANDER: I appreciate that, but Steve is still ahead of me. I'm going to try to catch him, but he's still ahead of me.

Whenever somebody says good things about you, it's a compliment. Obviously he was a heck of a basketball player, knows the game really well, and I appreciate it.

Q. Being here this weekend, seeing your face all over the city, the AT&T game at Crossover, does it feel like your star has risen a little bit more, even more than last year?

SHAI GILGEOUS-ALEXANDER: For sure. It's one of those things that I expected to happen as I got better as a basketball player and became more consistent. It comes with it. It's fun. It's stuff you dream about.

Q. Is it getting tougher to handle that?

SHAI GILGEOUS-ALEXANDER: Not at all. Like I said, I've been dreaming about this, this moment, this point in my career. I know what comes with it. I embrace it.

Q. And you've been doing your thing with Converse all weekend. It seems like they're a perfect fit for you. Why is it? What makes it a perfect fit for you?

SHAI GILGEOUS-ALEXANDER: I think just the underdog mentality that the brand kind of has, that I have had my whole career. Our stories kind of align with that. Then just, I think we have the same vision for the future, Converse basketball, and the direction.