After Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams led the Oklahoma City Thunder to beat the New Orleans Pelicans 106-88, the All-Star guard revealed his pregame eating routine during his postgame press conference. Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 29 points, and Williams scored a season-high 31 points. Oklahoma City’s leading scorers impacted both ends of the floor before a reporter asked Shai if he had any particular pregame routine.
SGA seemed to enjoy the question as he smiled before revealing what he did and will continue to do before each game.
“I eat an apple every day before the game,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “I like apples, though. There’s nothing to it; I just like apples. That’s about it. And I tape my ring finger for my wife. That’s about it.”
As you can imagine, Gilgeous-Alexander’s pregame routine of eating an apple promoted an immediate follow-up question: what kind of apple?
“Macintosh apple,” he replied. “It’s both red and green. Great question.”
That’s a great apple. Whatever Gilgeous-Alexander is doing before games is undoubtedly working, given the kind of production he’s provided 12 games into the regular season. He’s ready to compile another strong campaign for the NBA’s 2025 Most Valuable Player.
Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 27.9 points, 6.3 assists, 5.5 rebounds, 1.8 steals, and 1.2 blocks this season. He finished runner-up to Denver Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic for MVP last season.
Mark Daigneault on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s ‘graduation’ success
This season, the most talented team surrounds Oklahoma City Thunder All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. For head coach Mark Daigneault, the maturation of Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder, with the best record in the Western Conference at 10-2, is no coincidence in their early regular-season success.
Daigneault talked about Gilgeous-Alexander’s greatness after their win over the Pelicans.
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“Players that are great players, and he is a great player, they graduate to a point where their greatness is reflected not only in their individual play but in how to impact their team,” Daigneault said. “He’s still a young player, but he’s made that shift over time.”
That significant shift has made Gilgeous-Alexander an MVP candidate while the Thunder continue to build on their second-round playoff exit in 2024.
“He’s always been kind of team-centered and team-focused. There comes a time where great players are evaluated by how their team plays, not just how they play individually,” Daigneault added. “He’s thrust himself into that category with his individual play. To his credit, he embraces that and leans into it. That’s a testament to his maturity at a young age.”
On the cusp of entering his prime, Gilgeous-Alexander is on the path to becoming one of the NBA’s elite stars.