Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Receives Huge Praise From Heated NBA Playoff Rival

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander got his flowers from an unlikely NBA playoff foe, as Dillon Brooks is back for the Canadian national team for the FIBA World Cup Americas Qualifiers 2027. Brooks had huge praise for his Team Canada teammates, including their team’s leader, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. 

Brooks lauded Gilgeous-Alexander’s poise on the floor as he looks to lead Team Canada in the tournament. 

“I think he is very unrattled,” Brooks said of Gilgeous-Alexander as Team Canada won against Puerto Rico, 110-84. “That’s why he is the captain of our team. Super composed. Knows the game.”

OKC Thunder’s Gilgeous-Alexander and Phoenix Suns’ Brooks are named co-captains for Team Canada, which is composed of numerous NBA players such as Nickeil Alexander-Walker of the Atlanta Hawks, Andrew Nembhard of the Indiana Pacers, Kyshawn George of the Washington Wizards, and Ryan Nembhard of the Dallas Mavericks.

Gilgeous-Alexander and Brooks had several heated exchanges during the NBA Playoffs, where the Thunder faced off against the Suns in the first round. 

Brooks was Gilgeous-Alexander’s primary defender throughout the series, but the Thunder still dominated, winning in four games to advance and eliminate the Suns. 

Now, they are back again with Team Canada as teammates and co-captains. 

Against Puerto Rico, Gilgeous-Alexander put up 26 points on 9-of-14 shooting. Meanwhile, Brooks had 15 points on 7-of-12 shooting from the field. 

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Is A National Treasure For Canada

GettyOklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a national treasure for Canada.

Gilgeous-Alexander, a two-time NBA MVP and an NBA champion, has been a highly revered figure in Canadian basketball. 

For the new Team Canada head coach Gordie Herbert, Gilgeous-Alexander is a national treasure for the country, which has been longing to be a world powerhouse squad in basketball. 

“I call him Canada’s national treasure,” Herbert said. “Better person than a player… I think that tells you what kind of person he is. Leads by example every day in practice, engaged, unbelievable. National treasure.”

Herbert also revealed that Gilgeous-Alexander is expected to play more off the ball, a stark contrast to his role with the Thunder, where he is the engine of the team’s offense. 

“I think he’s actually tougher to guard off the ball. When we put him in two different situations, I think it opens up the game for him,” Herbert said. “I think it helps the whole team.”

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Is Canada’s Star For This Generation

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a star in Canada, joining the likes of the legendary Steve Nash.

Gilgeous-Alexander has been this generation’s Canadian basketball star, perhaps the biggest since Steve Nash. 

Gilgeous-Alexander led Canada to its first-ever medal in the FIBA World Cup, notching the bronze in 2023. They then advanced to the 2024 Paris Olympics, qualifying for the first time since 2000. 

All of these, while Gilgeous-Alexander rises as one of the best guards in the NBA, winning the last time NBA MVPs, while leading the Thunder to the NBA championship, their franchise’s first-ever title in 2025. 

With Gilgeous-Alexander in tow, Team Canada is expected to be a juggernaut in the international basketball scene for years to come, especially with the emergence of multiple Canadian NBA talents. 

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