Allen Iverson Welcomes Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to Exclusive Michael Jordan Club With Short Message

“The face of the NBA is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Joker, and Giannis. You can’t give it to people. They have to take it. And Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has taken it!” That’s Charles Barkley echoing what many of us suspected. While pundits debated the next star, SGA quietly went to work. Scoring buckets, racking up wins, and making history—he didn’t wait around for a crown. He went out and grabbed it.

Now the Finals are set: Pacers vs. Thunder. OKC locked up the West with a 124-94 blowout of Minnesota, clinching in five games. They come in strong, boasting the league’s best record at 68-14—and they’ve already beaten Indiana twice this season. The Pacers battled through six tough games against New York and ride a wave of momentum, though most still label them underdogs. As the world prepares for history to be made Thursday, one player has quietly and confidently already carved his name into the record books.

Allen Iverson took to Instagram to celebrate Shai’s incredible run, saying, “The only NBA players to win MVP and have 10+ playoff games of at least 30 points and 4 assists in the same season: @shai.” That’s huge coming from a legend who won MVP in 2001, led the league in scoring and steals, and carried his team to an Eastern Conference title. Iverson even posted side-by-side pictures of himself, Michael Jordan receiving the MVP award, and Shai. But today, the focus isn’t on Iverson, it’s on Shai.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander sits in rarefied air after a dominant Game 5 win over Minnesota, sending OKC to its first Finals since 2012. The guy dropped 34 points, grabbed 7 boards, dished 8 assists, and snagged 2 steals on an efficient 56% shooting night. Here’s the kicker: Shai became only the third player ever to record 10 playoff games with 30+ points and 5+ assists in one postseason. He’s joining Michael Jordan (who did it multiple times in the late ’80s and early ’90s) and LeBron James (who did it in 2015, 2017, and 2018). That’s some elite company right there.

This isn’t Shai’s first MJ comparison. A 40-point masterclass earlier this season made him the first MVP since Jordan to record 59 games of 30+ points in one season (regular season + playoffs). Jordan himself had 50+ such games four times in his career, including a whopping 65 in 1988. Shai’s climbed up the ranks, now tied for fifth place on the list for the most 30-point games in a single season. The company he’s keeping? Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bob McAdoo, Wilt Chamberlain, and, of course, MJ.

Even LeBron has sung Shai’s praises. On his podcast, LeBron talked about how “The (shot) creators in our game have always worked on mid-ranges,” emphasizing that the mid-range shot isn’t dead despite popular belief. Plus, last season before the All-Star break, he named Shai and Anthony Edwards as the two young stars who can “continue the torch when I’m done, after Steph and KD.” So yeah, while the spotlight might be on the Finals coming up, SGA is quietly making history, proving he’s not just a name to watch — he’s the name to remember.

The debate over the NBA’s next face? It might finally be settled.

The race for the NBA’s next face is heating up, and just a few days ago, it looked like Anthony Edwards might be pulling ahead. Stephen A. Smith called him “Jordanesque” and said if the Timberwolves won the championship, Ant would officially be the league’s new front man. The explosiveness, the swagger, the clutch scoring—it was all working. But then Game 4 happened. Edwards cooled off with just 16 points, and that’s when Stephen A. turned the heat up, calling his postgame reaction “inexcusable” and suggesting Edwards wasn’t aggressive enough when it mattered. That opened the door, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander sprinted through it.

After dropping 34 points in Game 5 and leading OKC to the Finals, the conversation shifted. Charles Barkley had already weighed in, but Jason Smith said it loud and clear, “SGA is your guy… He’s the best all-around player in the game right now, and that is exciting!” MVP? Check. First-place finish? Check. Finals berth? Check. At just 25, SGA has quietly grabbed hold of the league, and he didn’t need a flashy nickname or viral quote to do it.

Even Metta World Peace jumped into the mix—and didn’t hold back. On Casuals with Katie Nolan, he made jaws drop: “At times, SGA is better than Michael Jordan.” Sounds wild, sure, but Metta doubled down. The way Shai flows through the legs, behind the back, spins, steps back—it’s not just effective, it’s art. And at this point, the numbers? They’ve already made the case.

So now, with the Finals looming and the spotlight brighter than ever, the noise is undeniable. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander isn’t just in the conversation—he’s running away with it. The crown of the league’s next face? At this point, it looks like SGA’s already trying it on for size.

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