Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has had one of the more unique careers in NBA history. Drafted 11th overall in the 2017 NBA Draft after a standout one-and-done campaign at Kentucky, he was traded by the Los Angeles Clippers following his rookie season. Then landing with the Thunder, he began to shoulder more of the offensive burden, eventually becoming one of the most effective scorers in league history.
How Did Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Surpass NBA Legends?
With his 26-point effort against the Portland Trail Blazers on Nov. 30, Gilgeous-Alexander has now scored 20 or more points in 93 consecutive games, the second-longest streak in NBA history.
Hall of Fame center Wilt Chamberlain used to hold the record for the two longest 20+ point game streaks. Between 1961 and 1963, he crossed the 20-point threshold in 126 straight games. Between 1963 and 1964, Chamberlain started a new streak, scoring 20 or more points in 92 games.
Gilgeous-Alexander’s effort against the Blazers allowed him to break a 61-year-old record set by a semi-mythical hooper.
By the end of the season, he could conceivably break Chamberlain’s record.
Where does SGA’s streak rank among active players?
A list compiled by Yahoo Sports podcaster and writer Kevin O’Connor helps put in perspective just how incredible Gilgeous-Alexander’s latest feat is.
SGA has scored 20+ points in 93-straight games. Second only to Wilt (126). For perspective, these are the longest 20+ point streaks for some active future Hall of Famers:
Kevin Durant: 72 straight (11/23/15 – 11/09/16)
James Harden: 57 straight (12/08/18 – 04/09/19)
LeBron… https://t.co/X1YWlOi7yA
— Kevin O’Connor (@KevinOConnor) December 2, 2025
Gilgeous-Alexander’s current streak of 20+ point games is 21 games longer than Houston Rockets swingman Kevin Durant’s (72 games). Ironically, Durant was once the face of the Thunder franchise. In fact, Durant set that 72-game streak between November 2015 and November 2016, with the bulk of those exhibitions taking place while he was still with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Tacking onto that, Clippers point guard James Harden scored 20-plus points in 57 games. Like Durant, Harden was once a key member of the Thunder and the Rockets. Like Gilgeous-Alexander, Harden also possessed an uncanny ability to draw fouls, which helped boost his scoring rate. Indeed, both Gilgeous-Alexander and Harden have scored 30+ points per game in three consecutive seasons.
Despite being the league’s all-time leading scorer, Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James has a 20+ point scoring streak (49 games) that’s nearly half of Gilgeous-Alexander’s. In a similar vein, Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry is regarded as revolutionary and often cited as the best point guard of all time. Yet, his longest streak of 20+ point games is 23.
In the moment, it may not be easy for spectators to appreciate what Gilgeous-Alexander is accomplishing fully. However, the 27-year-old is undoubtedly staking his claim as a Hall of Fame-caliber player.
