Tag: 2024 All-Star Game

LeBron James tabs Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as potential new face of NBA

LeBron James tabs Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as potential new face of NBA.

As LeBron James played his record-breaking 20th All-Star Game, many started to ponder the question of who could be the next face of the league after the 39-year-old retires.

When asked who he looked forward to spending time with during the All-Star weekend, James listed Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as one of his answers.

“I would say Shai, Ant-Man. I feel like those are two of the guys that can continue the torch after I’m done, after Steph, KD — the guys that have been setting the standard for so many years,” James said. “Ant-Man has the charisma. I love Shai.”

This is a pretty strong endorsement for Gilgeous-Alexander, who was also tabbed as a potential next face of the league by Stephen Curry.

It’s easy to understand why James would also choose Gilgeous-Alexander as one of his candidates. He is an MVP candidate on the Thunder (37-17), a title contender whose entire starting lineup is 25 years or younger.

In 53 games, Gilgeous-Alexander has averaged 31.1 points on 54.6% shooting, 6.5 assists and 5.5 rebounds. It’s an impressive jump from last season, where he broke out as one of the best players in the league and finished fifth in MVP voting.

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‘Watching him as a player is just beautiful’: Doc Rivers praises Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

‘Watching him as a player is just beautiful’: Doc Rivers praises Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Following the 2024 All-Star Game, Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers was asked his thoughts on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Rivers coached the MVP candidate’s rookie season with the LA Clippers. He’s always had high thoughts on the 25-year-old, recently saying he knew the Clippers would regret trading him to acquire Paul George.

In his first All-Star start, Gilgeous-Alexander scored 31 points on 12-of-16 shooting, which included going 7-of-10 from 3.

“Shai, Tyrese Maxey, on the other team. So I got to see both of those guys, I had them both in their rookie years and seeing them both as All-Stars,” Rivers said. “Shai, I’ll tell you, watching him, his growth. You knew he was going to be a great person from the day you met him, but watching him as a player is just beautiful.”

Rivers was named as East head coach after spending a couple of weeks as the Bucks’ new head coach following the surprising dismissal of Adrian Griffin. Milwaukee is 3-7 in Rivers’ tenure. The East came away with the win over the West, 211-186.

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NBA Power Rankings: League enjoys All-Star break; Celtics remain dominant

NBA Power Rankings: League enjoys All-Star break; Celtics remain dominant.

It was a light week around the NBA as it enjoyed its 2024 All-Star break. The weekend extravaganza marked the unofficial halfway point of the 2023-24 regular season.

Returning to its original format, the East defeated the West, 211-186. Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard was named the All-Star MVP.

The top of the West remains the same: the Minnesota Timberwolves, Oklahoma City Thunder, LA Clippers and Denver Nuggets. Meanwhile, the Boston Celtics remain a dominant force and are the only team to reach 40-plus wins.

Let’s look at this week’s edition of Thunder Wire’s NBA power rankings for the week of Feb. 12-19:

PHOTOS: Best images from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s 2024 All-Star game

The best photos from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s 2024 All-Star performance.

The NBA held its 2024 All-Star game on Sunday as it returned to its traditional West vs. East format. The East outdueled the West, 211-186.

Oklahoma City Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander received an All-Star starting nod for the first time. The 25-year-old has played like a legitimate MVP candidate this season.

In 27 minutes, Gilgeous-Alexander had 31 points on 12-of-16 shooting, six assists and four rebounds. He shot 7-of-10 from 3. This included a self-lob dunk.

In 53 games, he’s averaged 31.1 points on 54.6% shooting, 6.5 assists and 5.5 rebounds. The Thunder (37-17) are 1.5 games out of first place in the Western Conference standings.

Let’s look at some of the best photos from Gilgeous-Alexander’s All-Star performance.

2024 All-Star Game: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scores 31 points in West’s 211-186 loss to East

2024 All-Star Game: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scores 31 points in West’s 211-186 loss to East.

INDIANAPOLIS — Throwing the ball off the backboard, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander slammed it down with one hand in the highlight of his monster All-Star performance.

The 25-year-old showed out in his first career All-Star start as the East beat the West, 211-186. The slow-paced exhibition catered to his style of play.

In 27 minutes, Gilgeous-Alexander had 31 points on 12-of-16 shooting, six assists and four rebounds. He shot 7-of-10 from 3. He scored 21 points in the second half.

“It’s one of those things I expected to happen as I (became) a better basketball player,” Gilgeous-Alexander said on getting nationally more recognized. “It comes with it. It’s fun. It’s stuff I dream about. … I’ve been dreaming about this moment, this point of my career, I know what comes with it.”

The efficient guard had a hot night from the outside. He took double-digit attempts — much more than his 3.3 season average. He foreshadowed the 3-point happy night by scoring the first points for the West on a catch-and-shoot opportunity.

The self-lob — which was the highlight of the night from the MVP candidate — looked eerily similar to Chet Holmgren’s version from earlier this season. Gilgeous-Alexander admitted his teammate helped inspire his attempt, jokingly saying he did it better.

“Ever since Chet did it, everyone else followed. I don’t know where that came from,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “Mine was better than Chet’s though. Mine was in traffic too.”

As the entire league watched the best players perform, Gilgeous-Alexander was one of the brighter spots of the exhibition. He got to his spots with ease and scored all of his points either deep inside the paint or from outside.

The 2024 All-Star contest itself might’ve been a heavily criticized snoozefest as neither team showed serious interest in making it competitive, but Gilgeous-Alexander looked awesome in his second All-Star appearance.

“The game was so not serious, I didn’t learn nothing, not gonna lie,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “We were just running around trying to score.”

Highlights of Gilgeous-Alexander’s 31-point outing can be watched below:

2024 G League Up Next Game: Keyontae Johnson’s squad loses in semifinals

2024 G League Up Next Game: Keyontae Johnson’s squad loses in semifinals.

INDIANAPOLIS — The G League held a Next Up Game four-team tournament during Sunday’s All-Star weekend festivities.

It was the same format as the Rising Stars, who had a target score of 30 points.

Oklahoma City Thunder two-way rookie Keyontae Johnson participated in the event for the Giraffe Stars. They lost their semifinal matchup against BallisLife, 32-25.

In eight minutes, Johnson had one block and shot 0-of-1 from the field. He joined Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams and Cason Wallace for the All-Star weekend.

The 23-year-old has spent most of the season with the G League’s OKC Blue, where he’s improved upon his game due to the extra game reps.

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2024 NBA All-Star Game rosters: East vs. West

Here are the full 2024 NBA All-Star rosters and how to watch the event.

The NBA has ditched the draft format for the 2024 NBA All-Star Game and is bringing back the classic conference matchup of East vs. West. The game tips off at 8 p.m. ET Sunday on TNT.

Giannis Antetokounmpo and LeBron James were named captains of their respective squads. James made history with his 20th All-Star selection in 2024, surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the most All-Star selections.

Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will be a starter in his second All-Star appearance.

There are four All-Star rookies in 2024, all in the Eastern Conference: Jalen Brunson, Tyrese Maxey, Paolo Banchero and Scottie Barnes.

The Eastern Conference All-Stars will be coached by Milwaukee’s Doc Rivers, while the Western Conference All-Stars will be coached by Minnesota’s Chris Finch.

2024 All-Star Game: Lineups and broadcast info for Sunday

2024 All-Star Game: Lineups and broadcast info for Sunday.

INDIANAPOLIS — The 2024 All-Star game will feature the West playing the East on Sunday, and if you’re wondering how you can watch the action live, you’ve come to the right place.

The league has returned to the traditional conference matchup after spending recent years conducting drafts. Giannis Antetokounmpo and LeBron James were selected as captains of their respective squads.’

Oklahoma City Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander received his first career All-Star starter nod. This comes a year after he received his first career All-Star selection.

In 53 games, he’s averaged 31.1 points on 54.6% shooting, 6.5 assists and 5.5 rebounds. The Thunder (37-17) are one game back from the first seed in the Western Conference standings.

Steph Curry dubs Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as possible next face of NBA

Steph Curry dubs Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as possible next face of NBA.

INDIANAPOLIS — During the 2024 All-Star weekend, Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry was asked about possible new faces in the league. The NBA is at a crossroads right now with its elite talent.

Familiar names such as Curry, LeBron James and Kevin Durant have dominated for over a decade, but they’re all entering the twilight stages of their dominance. A changing of the guard could soon happen.

When asked who could take the mantle, Curry listed Oklahoma City Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander among others. The 25-year-old beat out Curry for an All-Star starting spot.

“There’s a lot of guys to pick from in this group of 24 that are here. You see Luka (Doncic), (Anthony Edwards), Shai, guys that are really coming into their prime, and they’re highly decorated already as All-Stars and (All-)NBA guys,” Curry said. “But have a perspective, I guess, of what that means within the on-court/off-court opportunities with the doors that basketball opens in that respect.

“You’ve got a lot of talent to choose from in that respect. I think the more you understand the authenticity around it, and like me and Bron and KD, like the guys you named, have done it and tried to do that in our way, where it might look different for different guys.

“But the league is in pretty good hands when it comes to young talent that I think gets it and understands the magnitude of the platform we all have and will respect it as they come into their own.”

It’s easy to understand why Curry would choose Gilgeous-Alexander as one of his candidates — he’s been an MVP candidate on one of the best contenders in the league in the Thunder (37-17), whose entire starting lineup is 25 years or younger.

In 53 games, Gilgeous-Alexander has averaged 31.1 points on 54.6% shooting, 6.5 assists and 5.5 rebounds. It’s an impressive jump from last season, where he broke out as one of the best players in the league and finished No. 5 in MVP voting.

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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander reveals what the Thunder need to win championship

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander reveals what the Thunder need to win a championship.

INDIANAPOLIS — The Oklahoma City Thunder have entered the contention conversation this season despite their youthfulness.

The Thunder (37-17) are one game out of first place in the Western Conference at the All-Star break. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s MVP-esque season has elevated OKC to among the best teams in the league.

When asked during his All-Star media session what the Thunder need to do to win a championship, Gilgeous-Alexander said what they need the most is more time.

“Usually experience, the teams that have gone through multiple playoff series and multiple guys that have gotten to that level know what it takes to get over the hump and do so,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “That’s something that, honestly, just has to come with us playing in more games. Maybe we give it time. Maybe we don’t.

“But we have no ceiling on what we think we can do this year. We kind of take the same mentality and just stay in the moment, plug away every day. Where we get at the end of the year, whenever the end of our season is, we’ll look back and make adjustments and try to figure out then. As of right now, we just try to stay focused on the task at hand.”

It might not be a flashy answer, but it’s the probable correct one. The Thunder will need to undergo battle scars in the playoffs to have sustainable success, as most teams who were also in their shoes did.

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