"He wasn't mad at Calipari": Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's trainer recalls Kentucky struggles and how Kobe Bryant-esque work ethic helped overcome it
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has shades of Kobe Bryant in him. Much of this came from the immense amount of film he watched on the 'Black Mamba' and Philadelphia 76ers' rockstar guard Allen Iverson in his formative years. Hours of staying glued to footage from the two have seen the OKC Thunder mainstay hone his craft to the point that he is now a bonafide MVP candidate in the ongoing NBA 2024 season.
Had it not been for an uber-consistent Nikola Jokic propping absurd numbers last year, SGA, who finished runners-up on the MVP voting would have won the honors. This time around, the 30-point metronome is not just making a case to take home the Michael Jordan Award but also has a chance to win the NBA Cup MVP if OKC gets the better of Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday (Dec. 17) in the final of the marquee tournament in Las Vegas.
Leading up to the NBA Cup Final, Sportskeeda's Mark Medina in an exclusive with Gilgeous-Alexander's trainer Olin Simplis, shed light on how Bryant's relentless work ethic and the guard's mentality to stay ready for the moment since his Kentucky days has made one of the biggest and bankable superstars in modern-day NBA.
"That’s a mindset that I don’t think you can teach, especially today. These kids are transferring and bouncing around so much. When you have a kid like him sitting on the bench, they’re usually looking for an exit. He didn’t. He didn’t feel sorry for himself. He wasn’t mad at [John] Calipari. He just thought, ‘When my time comes, it’s over.’ That says something for an 18 and 19-year-old kid."
Simplis added that Gilgeous-Alexander's innate mindset was to win and be great. He added that it was a "scary" phenomenon to see where he could go with his level of commitment to the sport. Simplis recalled when SGA would hit the gym every night when he was part of the Clippers.
Since his trade to the Thunder in 2019, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been the perfect replacement for franchise superstar Paul George who made his way to the Clippers in return. Since his arrival in Oklahoma, the Canadian guard made two All-Star teams and has been 2x All-NBA First Team.
With the Thunder front office putting the right pieces around him, the OKC roster has been a perfect blend of youth, energy, and experience that sees them trending in the right direction.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's trainer believes the guard has honed in on Kobe Bryant's tireless and meticulous work ethic
In the same interview with Medina, Simplis also shed light on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander gravitating to Kobe Bryant's countless hours of meticulous hard work. He saw the qualities on full display during the OKC star's time at Kentucky where he waited for his opportunity patiently and then grabbed it with both hands when it presented itself.
Adding that he didn't get discouraged by mistakes, SGA adopted Bryant's approach of coming in at his opponents constantly for the full length of the game.
"He came into Kentucky and they had a really strong recruiting class. He was the sixth guy in that recruiting class, and he didn’t play until two months into the season and that was because someone got hurt. As soon as they got hurt, he didn’t relinquish that spot. He didn’t sit there and pout and say he’s going to transfer. He sat there and worked, worked, worked. As soon as he got his opportunity, he kept the job."
Simplis went on to explain how SGA was undeterred even when dealing with competition with the Clippers fold that had established veterans in Avery Bradley and Pat Beverley. Both were defense-first guards, but Gilgeous-Alexander was ready for his moment and never relinquished the spot when he got the chance to start.
There's no denying that these traits have been firmly ingrained in the 26-year-old. He comes into Tuesday's matchup as the Thunder's key weapon averaging 30.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 6.3 assists on 51.0% shooting. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been a force despite the team losing second-year big Chet Holmgren, and now the Thunder come in as favorites to take the NBA Cup home.