The NBA offseason is officially behind us, with Media Day giving the NBA fans their first real look at their favorite stars ahead of the new campaign. While most players talked about grueling training sessions and offseason grinds, Oklahoma City Thunder Finals MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander took a more reflective route.
When asked about his summer work ethic, SGA admitted he’s never relied on raw gifts.
“I was never a player that jumped out of the gym or had any insane talents,” he said. “I had to work for it. I had to craft and carve and mold myself into this player that I am today, and I’ll never forget that. And because of that, I hold that very dearly and make sure if I’m doing anything, I’m working at my game and try to be better.”
Shai Gilgeous Alexander talks about his off season work ethic. pic.twitter.com/PZz1uMoJCQ
— Mauii (@MauiiDontMiss) September 29, 2025
The words were inspiring enough, but fans couldn’t help poking fun at the slow, almost sleepy delivery.
“why is dude talking so slowly.”
why is dude talking so slowly pic.twitter.com/W3DGSbRS1T
— Knecht4THREEE 🥶4️⃣ (@Dk1fann) September 30, 2025
“I almost fell asleep listening to that. He sounds like he’s boring himself.”
NBA fans react to SGA’s new all-white sneakers
Media Day also gave Shai a chance to show off the latest colorway of his signature sneaker line. The Shai 001 originally launched in “Butter” before being followed up with “Hail Clay,” “Charm Black,” and “Masi Blue.” This time, he turned heads with an all-white version.
The clean look sparked mixed reactions online. Some felt the design looked too similar to Allen Iverson’s classic Answer IV, while others said the all-white finish finally sold them on the shoe.
“I was unmoved by this shoe… until now.”
I was unmoved by this shoe…. until now
— family-friendly cuzzy. (@ish_fleetwood) September 30, 2025
“Ngl in all white I would hoop in these.”
No release date has been announced yet for the icy new drop, but the buzz suggests plenty of fans will be ready to cop when it does hit shelves.
For more sports content:
Follow us @HardwoodHeroics for your NBA and college basketball reading fix. You can reach out to Dan Agulto through email at papadanph@gmail.com. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest sports news, click here!
Dan has been active in sports since 2016 and has worked behind the scenes as a scriptwriter for basketball, volleyball, and other sports. At a time, Dan has also been working as a sports commentator for CBA Pilipinas. During the pandemic, he has also been actively writing betting articles for CashBet and BetNow.
