Shai Gilgeous-Alexander says Steve Nash still best Canadian hoopster

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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is pretty clearly currently having the best-ever NBA season by a Canadian, but he insists he’s not yet on the level of Steve Nash.

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Gilgeous-Alexander, who is currently a co-favourite for MVP with Nikola Jokic, had a strong all-star performance last weekend in his second appearance and first start. The Hamilton native had 31 points and six assists, hitting 7-of-10 three-point attempts in 27 minutes.

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He was second on the West in scoring a year after dropping nine points and seven assists in 10 minutes in his all-star debut.

“I’ve said so many times you dream about it as a kid. When you get here, you think you’re ready for it, but you’re not,” Gilgeous-Alexander told reporters in Indianapolis of the whole experience.

Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 31.1 points, 6.5 assists, 4.5 rebounds and an NBA-leading 2.2 steals per game for the Oklahoma City Thunder.

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His play has propelled the Thunder to second in the Western Conference and the third-best record in the league as the NBA resumes for the final third of the season.

Gilgeous-Alexander was also dominant in 2022-23, but the Thunder missed the playoffs. This year has been another step forward and many have argued the former Kentucky guard — who just led Canada to a historic bronze medal at the FIBA World Cup and its first Olympic berth since the Nash-led team in 2000 in Sydney — has now surpassed Nash.

But Gilgeous-Alexander remains humble. Former NBA star Stephon Marbury recently called him the best Canadian basketball player ever, but Nash won a pair of MVP awards, and Gilgeous-Alexander said he’s not there yet.

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“I appreciate that, but Steve is still ahead of me. I’m going to try to catch him, but he’s still ahead of me,” he told reporters.

Maybe in terms of overall career, but Gilgeous-Alexander is having a better season and year than Nash ever had, especially when his elite defence is factored in.

Gilgeous-Alexander also said Canada Basketball is “on the rise” and added “the country means the world to me. It gave me an opportunity. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be here. So fortunate to be from there.

“Kids all over the world just don’t get the opportunity because of where they’re born. I don’t take that for granted. To kind of have the flag on my back, it’s a special feeling.”

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