SALT LAKE CITY — It took until the second quarter, but Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finally stepped on the floor to make his All-Star debut.
After being voted in as a reserve, Gilgeous-Alexander enjoyed the fruits of his labor by participating in the All-Star festivities for the best players in the league.
“Super fun…,” Gilgeous-Alexander said about his weekend. “(I) tried to soak it up as much as possible. Try to spend as much time with my loved ones as possible.”
Gilgeous-Alexander’s team — Team Giannis Antetokounmpo — also came away with the win in a 184-175 final score against Team LeBron James. Although by the start of the second half, neither team had their captain on the floor.
In the inaugural All-Star draft, Gilgeous-Alexander went fifth overall among the reserves and Antetokounmpo’s third selection.
In 10 minutes, Gilgeous-Alexander finished with nine points on 4-of-5 shooting, seven assists and two rebounds.
Despite the limited action, Gilgeous-Alexander had no complaints and was more dialed into enjoying the moment.
“It’s cool,” Gilgeous-Alexander said when asked about Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla’s minutes distribution. “I’m just honored to be here (and) play with the best players in the world and showcase my skills at this stage.”
As Gilgeous-Alexander enjoys the remaining three days of the All-Star break, the 24-year-old will shift his focus back to the last 25 games of the season as the 28-29 Thunder look to make a playoff push trailing the sixth-seeded Dallas Mavericks by 1.5 games.
SGA on where his first All-Star made shot — a sidestep 3 — ranks in his career: “It’s top 5 for now. I’m planning to have more memories.”
— Clemente Almanza (@CAlmanza1007) February 20, 2023
SGA on LeBron blocking his dunk attempt: “He wasn’t playing defense and the one time I tried to get a dunk, he wants to play defense.”
— Clemente Almanza (@CAlmanza1007) February 20, 2023
SGA on the All-Star draft format: “It was cool. It was fun. Took a little bit longer than I expected but it was cool (and) fun.”
— Clemente Almanza (@CAlmanza1007) February 20, 2023
SGA on his OKC jacket he wore last night: “I’ve had it for a few years now but I told myself that I wasn’t going to wear it until I was in the All-Star game.”
— Clemente Almanza (@CAlmanza1007) February…
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