Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has done a great deal to prove that he is a superstar and one of the best players in the NBA. Yet a few believe he’s not in those categories.
Gilgeous-Alexander is on the verge of making NBA history by becoming one of the only guards to win the regular-season NBA MVP award, Conference Finals MVP award, and NBA Finals MVP award in the same season.
The Oklahoma City Thunder are just one win away from securing an NBA championship over the Indiana Pacers. Gilgeous-Alexander deserves a lot of credit for the Thunder’s success this season.
NBA fans might believe Gilgeous-Alexander is already a superstar. A couple of former NBA stars have a different opinion.
Nick Young Thinks Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Lacks the ‘Flair’ of an NBA Superstar
What makes a player into an NBA superstar? Some think it has to do with particular statistics or accomplishments. Others involve a player’s style of play on the court.
Nick Young is a former NBA star who won a championship with the Golden State Warriors in 2018. During a recent episode of “Gil’s Arena,” Young did not hold back when others called Gilgeous-Alexander an emerging superstar.
“He got everything. But not the flair. He doesn’t have the flair… Yeah,” Young said.
SGA is emerging as a true superstar this Finals 💯 pic.twitter.com/n55ISt2vhk
— Gil’s Arena (@GilsArenaShow) June 18, 2025
Kenyon Martin agreed with Young and went into more detail.
“Those guys like, you knew…Just take Steph (Warriors guard Curry) for instance, right?” Martin said. “On any given night, he can go out there and make mot******king 13 threes. With Shai, it’s just consistency. It’s quiet, it’s not flashy. He ain’t dunking on nobody. He ain’t yelling. He ain’t telling you about it in the press conferences. So it’s going to be a little different approach to more like a Tim Duncan…”
If dunking, screaming, bragging, or talking trash is criteria for being an NBA superstar, then Young and Martin might observe how NBA centers play today.
Gilgeous-Alexander’s main focus right now is on winning an NBA title. The Thunder look to get the job done. If he can help his team reach the NBA mountaintop, then it will go a long way to silence his critics.
