Coming off his first MVP season and NBA championship, Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder celebrity guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been likened to all-time nice shot creators akin to Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan. Nonetheless, in line with NBA legend Charles Barkley, one key facet makes Gilgeous-Alexander extra just like Los Angeles Lakers celebrity ahead LeBron James.
Gilgeous-Alexander took the league by storm in 12 months 7, using his clean, shifty offensive initiation ways and deadly midrange shot to common an NBA-best 32.7 factors per sport. The three-time All-Star guided a powerhouse OKC squad to a league-high and franchise-record 68 regular-season wins en path to a grueling 2025 title run.
Nonetheless, Gilgeous-Alexander’s strategy to the sport is stopping Barkley from embracing the Bryant and Jordan comparisons.
Barkley Explains Why Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s Mindset Mirrors LeBron James’ Extra Than Kobe Bryant’s or Michael Jordan’s
Throughout an look on Tuesday’s episode of “The Invoice Simmons Podcast,” Barkley mirrored on the hallmark traits of the highest three gamers he’s ever watched: Bryant, Jordan, and James. Based on the Corridor of Famer, Bryant and Jordan’s murderer mentalities set them other than James’ nice-guy persona.
“The three greatest gamers that I’ve ever seen have been Michael, Kobe, and LeBron, and I’ll inform you the distinction within the three,” Barkley started. “Michael and Kobe are harmful. They’ll kill your a**. LeBron’s a pleasant man, and that’s not a knock. He’s nonetheless nice, nice, nice, however he’s a pleasant man. Michael and Kobe aren’t good guys; they’re completely different.”
Persevering with, Barkley famous that Gilgeous-Alexander falls in the identical class as James, working as a friendlier megastar who thrives by capitalizing on his talent set and crew dynamic.
“The one factor about OKC, despite the fact that I feel Shai is a superb, nice participant, he, to me, is extra like LeBron,” Barkley stated. “He’s a very nice man. He’s not on the market making an attempt to kill you, and I feel that’s the distinction. They’ve bought a bunch of actually, actually good gamers, and that’s advantageous.”
Behind their killer instincts and dedication to refining their offensive mastery, Jordan and Bryant ended their illustrious NBA careers with six and 5 championships, respectively. In the meantime, James, whose prime years have been outlined by unmatched versatility, bodily dominance, and excessive basketball IQ, boasts 4 titles getting into 12 months 23.
Regardless, if Gilgeous-Alexander and Co. type a dynasty and rattle off a number of extra championships, Thunder followers doubtless gained’t lose sleep over outsiders’ opinions of their franchise participant. At age 27, Gilgeous-Alexander has ample time so as to add to his résumé and carve out a legacy as some of the extraordinary backcourt abilities within the historical past of the NBA.
