THE PLAYER WHO has mentored Shai Gilgeous-Alexander probably the most, and made probably the most impression on him, is somebody he performed with for simply 17 months. Virtually instantly upon his arrival in Oklahoma Metropolis, Chris Paul noticed qualities and values within the then-21-year-old that mirrored his personal: the unrelenting devotion to routine, the virtually compulsive eye for particulars, the flexibility to see the longest view. Gilgeous-Alexander was always over at Paul’s condominium that yr, making an attempt to soak in as a lot as he might from one of many biggest level guards of all time. They educated collectively. Ate breakfasts and dinners collectively. Went to G-League video games and talked hoops for hours. “Shai is just a basketball junkie,” Paul tells ESPN. “Even now, we might be on the phone watching a game, just talking about what we see.” However simply as Paul is about to proceed describing a participant he now considers household, he stops. “You can’t write this story with out speaking to his mother,” he says. “Maintain on. I’ll name her.” He patches her in. -via ESPN / April 8, 2024
