What to know
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander says playing for a hometown is “every Canadian’s dream.”
- SGA spoke of his Canadian counterpart, RJ Barrett, calling him a “special” and “talented” player.
- Oklahoma City Thunder fans react to the thought of SGA leaving the team.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (SGA) says playing for a hometown team is “definitely every Canadian’s dream.”
Born in Toronto and having grown up in Hamilton, he is beloved by basketball fans across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area.,
SGA is currently a point guard for the Oklahoma City Thunder (OKC), where he has played for the last seven seasons. In 2018, he was drafted in the first round, 11th overall by the Charlotte Hornets before being traded to the Los Angeles Clippers that same draft night.
The 27- year-old is also a four-time NBA All-Star and was an integral part of the Canadian national team at the Paris Olympics in 2024.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, SGA says watching the Raptors play was one of the reasons he got attached to basketball.
He says it must be “surreal” for his Canadian counterpart, RJ Barrett, to play for the Raptors.
“RJ as a player is special, very talented, and works super hard,” he added. “Every time I see RJ, he gets better. Sky’s the limit because of that.”
Barrett has been with the Raptors since 2023 when he was traded to the team along with Immanuel Quickley.
Basketball fans react to SGA’s comment
Despite SGA’s current affiliations, the country and his hometowns have rooted for SGA since the beginning of his career; he was named Golden Horseshoe Athlete of the Year three times and has received the Key to the City of Hamilton.
O Canada! 🇨🇦❤️
— Omer Osman (@OmerOsman200) February 24, 2026
The Raptors are honouring the Canadian players on the OKC Thunder – Toronto Raptors ahead of the game tonight.
Shoutout AJ Lawson, Lu Dort, RJ Barrett, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. We are all proud of their accomplishments representing Team Canada. 🍁
🎥:… pic.twitter.com/nQFz0elTjG
While many Raptors fans would like to see SGA return to the city, they are also unconvinced.
“Isn’t Shai making like 70 million plus per year with OKC?” a Reddit user wrote.
Last year, SGA signed a new four-year contract with OKC worth $285 million which will kick in for the 2027-28 season. However, his MVP status makes him eligible for a supermax extension – which means he will earn a whopping total of $364 million.
But Raptors fans aren’t the only ones with something to say about SGA’s commitments. After all, he is considered to have led OKC to their first-ever championship win last year for which he was named Final MVP. As the league’s reigning MVP, SGA boasts a comfortable lead over the runner up in the latest MVP straw poll by ESPN.
“Shai can do whatever he wants, he already brought us the chip, we will always love him,” an OKC fan wrote on X.
“Nah bro, we keeping Shai here till he retires,” another wrote.
