Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Gilgeous-Alexander is the oldest of two children of Charmaine Gilgeous and Vaughn Alexander. His mother competed in track and represented Antigua and Barbuda at the 1992 Summer Olympics, while his father played basketball, won a Toronto city high school championship and coached Shai during his youth. Gilgeous-Alexander is of Antiguan descent.

His younger brother, Thomasi Gilgeous-Alexander, played college basketball for the University of Evansville and Northeastern Oklahoma A&M. His first cousin, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, is also an NBA player, and the two lived together at their high school coach Zach Ferrell's house. Gilgeous-Alexander married his high school sweetheart, Hailey Summers, on February 14, 2024. They have a son named Ares, who was born on April 25, 2024.

Gilgeous-Alexander moved from Toronto to Hamilton, Ontario, at age 10. He did not make his school's junior basketball team in Grade 9, but later played on a lower-level team, became its most valuable player and led it to a city championship. He transferred to Hamilton Heights Christian Academy in Chattanooga, Tennessee, for his junior and senior years and graduated in 2017.

He played one season for the Kentucky Wildcats under coach John Calipari. After beginning the season as a reserve, he moved into the starting lineup and finished with averages of 14.4 points, 4.1 rebounds and 5.1 assists in 37 games. He was named Southeastern Conference tournament MVP, earned second-team All-SEC and All-SEC Freshman Team honours, and declared for the 2018 NBA draft after his freshman season.

The Charlotte Hornets selected Gilgeous-Alexander 11th overall in the 2018 NBA draft and traded him to the Los Angeles Clippers on draft night. He averaged 10.8 points per game during his rookie season and was selected to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team. In July 2019, the Clippers traded him to the Oklahoma City Thunder as part of the deal that brought Paul George to Los Angeles.

Gilgeous-Alexander developed into Oklahoma City's leading scorer and primary guard. He recorded his first career triple-double in January 2020 with 20 points, 20 rebounds and 10 assists, becoming the youngest player to achieve that line. In 2022-23, he made his first All-Star team and averaged 31.4 points per game, while in 2023-24 he made another All-NBA First Team and finished second in MVP voting.

The 2024-25 season brought his first NBA MVP award and scoring title. He led the Thunder to a 68-14 regular-season record, then helped them defeat the Indiana Pacers in the NBA Finals. Gilgeous-Alexander won Finals MVP and became the fourth player in NBA history to win the regular-season MVP, Finals MVP, scoring title and championship in one season. In 2025-26, he won a second consecutive MVP award and his first Clutch Player of the Year award.

Gilgeous-Alexander first represented Canada at the 2016 FIBA Americas U18 Championship, where he helped the team win a silver medal. He later joined the senior national team and became one of the central players in Canada's rise in international basketball.

At the 2023 FIBA World Cup, he helped Canada win its first World Cup medal, a bronze, and was named to the All-Tournament Team. Canada also qualified for the 2024 Olympic men's basketball tournament, its first qualification since 2000. Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 21.0 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game in Paris and was named to the Olympic All-Second Team.

Gilgeous-Alexander plays point guard and shooting guard. He is known for slashing through defenses, scoring at all three levels and using his body control, speed and long wingspan to finish near the basket. He is also regarded as a two-way player and received votes for the NBA All-Defensive Team from 2023 through 2026.

His NBA success brought major Canadian honours. He became the second basketball player after Steve Nash to win both the Northern Star Award and the Lionel Conacher Award in the same year, doing so in 2023 and again in 2025. He was also named Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year and won the Best Male Athlete ESPY Award in 2025.