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Fair to say it’s overused, if anything.
But when we’re speaking about Shai Gilgeous-Alexander? It isn’t hyperbole.
Not only has he impacted the trajectory of an entire franchise that thought it was headed into rebuild mode, not only is he currently impacting a newer generation of young Canadians to follow their hoop dreams as they watch him take over the NBA south of the border, not only has he impacted the pregame tunnel walk moment by turning it into a red carpet ceremony like no other player has in any other sport—he’s also just purely been the best player in the NBA these days. That combination right there—that’s generational. There aren’t that many other ways to be more generational.
The Canadian guard, who’s emerged as the MVP frontrunner (whether that’s by media pundits, by proposed Vegas odds or even by the comments of his fellowNBA All-Stars), has had a level of impact on a city, a franchise and a country that is very difficult to replicate in sports.
We haven’t seen someone be this dominant on the court while simultaneously having the same level of aura off it in a good minute. Some may even argue since Allen Iverson.
When we met up with the OKC Thunder superstar, his team had just pulled together a 15-game win streak and sat comfortably atop the Western Conference. And so, all the praises you’ve been hearing lately, the numbers (whether individual or team) and the cultural influence off the court, simply back them up.
But now he enters a new tier. As you’ll see on the pages that follow and on this magazine cover, Shai is officially revealing the silhouette of his first-ever signature sneaker, the Converse SHAI 001. He is the new face of one of the most iconic sneaker brands in history. And he’s not just the face of a historic brand and a signature line, he also serves as the Creative Director for the basketball division. The design of his sneaker speaks to his versatility as a player and a person.
We wanted to provide you with our full interview with the star point guard—unfiltered, uncensored, uninterrupted, in his own words—as he speaks on his emergence as a star and what’s still left to come. We hope you enjoy.
SLAM: We were told that you sketched the logo yourself. What was that process like?
SGA: It took me a minute—I couldn’t really figure out the logo part. I had this chain, it said D-M, M-D. It was a couple of years ago. The D and the M and the M and the D were reflective [off each other]. And so, obviously, [my jersey is] number 2, so then that kind of sparked a reflective 2 for me [with my initials]. And so that essentially is what the logo is. And then I tried to shape it in a cool way. Just played with it a bunch of times until I found something that I loved.
SLAM: How long did it take you to go from a concept to an actual sketched design of the logo?
SGA: For this version, maybe like a week. But I went through a few of them. In my brain, I went through too many [versions] to count. I’d just get an idea and try to jot it down. Try to sketch it, see if it looks good. Then you process it out to see if it can really look good and if you love it. So, [it took] a long time. A lot of this was in the summertime, last summer. But also on the plane, at home. I just had a newborn son, so whenever he was sleeping, I got after it. SLAM: We also heard you sketched the first iteration of the sneaker. Tell us about that. SGA: Absolutely. So, I knew this opportunity was coming about. Before it started, I had a bunch of references of sneakers, from hiking shoes to basketball shoes to skateboarding shoes. Every type of sneaker that I liked. And then I just tried to take bits and pieces from shoes that I liked and put it into one and come up with something that I fell in love with. Basically, similar to the logo creation. And [that’s how] we got to the final product. I’m in love with it.
SLAM: We also heard you sketched the first iteration of the sneaker. Tell us about that.
SGA: Absolutely. So, I knew this opportunity was coming about. Before it started, I had a bunch of references of sneakers, from hiking shoes to basketball shoes to skateboarding shoes. Every type of sneaker that I liked. And then I just tried to take bits and pieces from shoes that I liked and put it into one and come up with something that I fell in love with. Basically, similar to the logo creation. And [that’s how] we got to the final product. I’m in love with it.
SLAM: What was that timeline for you?
SGA: From gathering references, the process was probably, like, two to three months.
SLAM: We know you’ve also been named the Creative Director at Converse Basketball. For a lot of celebrities, it just becomes a fake title that they’re given for optics or marketing purposes. But we’ve heard you’re taking the title seriously and constantly texting the design team and hopping on calls.
SGA: It’s a role I take very seriously. I want to excel at it. I want to reach for the stars. I want to do things that have never been done before. And I also just love it at the end of the day, so it’s easy for me—it doesn’t really feel like work. It’s kind of like basketball. I’m very thankful to Converse for giving me that opportunity to kind of have a real job in a real place in this world, to do something I love outside of basketball. Myself trying to figure out when the ball drops, what to do—this avenue and alley gives me a way to still be close to the game, love the game and do something I love.
SLAM: What was your biggest creative goal with the design of this sneaker?
SGA: The biggest thing with the shoe that I wanted people to understand and feel is the versatility in it. That was my main goal—that they can wear it on the court, wear it off the court. And then that’s just reflective of everything else I do and who I am as a person. My on the court, my off the court, my basketball, my fashion—everything is versatility and being able to step into different worlds.
SLAM: You’re currently the frontrunner to win MVP this season—according to Vegas odds, according to the media, etc. How much do you pay attention to stuff like that, and how big of a goal is it for you?
SGA: It’s another blessing. So many things [happened] from then to now for me to get here. Some of it is luck, some of it is helping hands, some of it is hard work. A lot of stars have to align and things have for me, and I’m super blessed for that. The feeling is amazing. Obviously, nothing is won in January, clearly. But to be playing at the level that I am, to be recognized, to my team winning—things are obviously going in the right direction. I haven’t reached any of my goals yet, so I’m not satisfied. I have a lot more to accomplish. The work won’t stop. But yeah, headed down the right path, for sure.
SLAM: Anthony Edwards made a comment recently that you were the clear-cut MVP this season and should’ve been the MVP last season. What’s it like having other star players give you that type of praise?
SGA: Your peers do it at a high level. They understand the grind it takes, understand the day to day. Nobody understands more than them. To me, their opinion holds the most weight because they do the exact same thing that I do at the same level and understand what it takes. So it’s a good feeling.
SLAM: Do you agree with his assertion that you should’ve won last year?
SGA: Umm, I don’t really care about [not winning it last year] much. It’s something I can’t control. I can’t control votes. I tried to give last year my all, tried to be the best version of myself. And I guess that wasn’t enough. So, my mindset in the summertime was to try to make sure that this year it was enough.
SLAM: There are people online who compare you to Allen Iverson. Have you seen those comparisons?
SGA: I haven’t heard those, but I try not to get into social media and scouring through social media while I’m going through the season. But that’s an amazing feeling as well. Allen Iverson was, like, my favorite basketball player growing up—the reason why I had braids as a kid, wore a headband, the reason why I started playing basketball. So, it’s a cool feeling. The things he’s done for the game, for the culture—on and off the court—are second to none. So that’s pretty cool.
SLAM: Did you study his game when you were growing up?
SGA: I never really studied much of his game, just ’cause I was younger and I just wasn’t studying [yet]. I was just watching as a fan. But something that stood out about him was his supreme confidence. On the court, he played the same way. His confidence never wavered. Good shot, bad shot. He made four in a row, five in a row. He always played the same way. Played hard. And off the court, he clearly had the utmost confidence in his fashion. His swag. A story that always stuck with me was him taking fines to wear fits. That’s always something that stood out to me. He always made sure he did it his way, and he went out swinging.
SLAM: You mentioned there’s still a lot more to accomplish. What does that list of goals look like?
SGA: My biggest thing is, I just want to win a championship. That’s why you play the game. When I was in 9th grade and tried out for the team, I wanted to win a city championship. I always just want to win—on the biggest and highest stage of basketball in the world. That’s my main and only focus. All I really care about. If I get that one day, I’ll be all right.
SLAM: You were cut from your JV team in ninth grade; how much did that impact the way you went about pursuing basketball?
SGA: I used it as motivation. I never sulked or was down bad about it or was in my feelings about it. I just took it as, I wasn’t good enough. I thought I was good enough; clearly I wasn’t. I wanted to make sure that I never had that feeling again. And I think I did a pretty good job at that.
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SLAM: Looking back now, do you feel like you were slept on at all in high school? Being a four-star recruit, not being invited to the McDonald’s All-American Game, etc.
SGA: To be honest, I’m not too sure—I could’ve made the game, I could have not. I wasn’t the best player in the class, so it wasn’t like I was a surefire in. I definitely thought I was better than some of the players, but that’s how basketball goes. Everyone thinks they’re the best, right? But that opportunity as well, I used it to motivate me regardless. I used it to get better, I used it to prove to people that I can play at that level, at that stage. That year, I really took a jump.
SLAM: How do you feel about your Thunder team as we reach the mid- season mark?
SGA: I feel really good. We’ve won a lot of games. Top of the West in a really hard conference. We’re headed in the right direction. We’re getting better. That’s all that really matters at this point in the season. You want to be your best at the end of the year. You want to be the best version of yourself individually and as a team come late in the season when it’s playoff time. That’s what we’re gearing up toward. So hopefully that comes to fruition for us.
SLAM: Now that you’re seven years into your NBA career, do you see any parts of your game that have come to you in recent years as you’ve gained more experience?
SGA: Absolutely. I think [now] I just understand the bigger picture in winning at this level, for sure. I’ve gotten a little wiser in that aspect. Understanding the long game and what really matters day in and day out, what really matters in the game, what habits you build. Things that go into winning, I’ve come to have more grasp with over the years. I think that’s really helped me grow, as well as the team.
SLAM: The basketball talent in Canada is at an all-time high, with you at the front of it all. What’s it like seeing where it is now compared to when you were growing up?
SGA: It’s been amazing, just to see the growth of the game. When I was a kid, NBA basketball seemed like it wasn’t real, [like] it was so far away, it was out of reach. And I think the kids seeing us make it, seeing so many Canadians in the League, only motivates them more. I think more kids are playing because of that. As a result of more kids playing, more kids end up making it. That’s what it’s about. Believing in yourself and working hard. Every year, 60 kids make it. Why not try to be one of them?
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