The Oklahoma City Thunder have endured a ridiculously grinding stretch over this week.
After getting pulverized by the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday’s NBA Cup championship game, the Thunder immediately entered the plane and had to travel to Florida for a back-to-back road play to continue their 2024-25 season. And despite the extreme exhaustion, the West’s top-seeded group still managed to outlast the Orlando Magic (105-99) and the Miami Heat (104-97) on Thursday and Friday, respectively.
Being in three different cities for four straight days is undoubtedly grueling, but Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is convinced that he and the Thunder have no right to complain considering their state as some of the most fortunate professionals in the world.
No excuses
NBA players are living the ultimate dream to the fullest. They earn millions from their team contracts and endorsements, get to travel to different places, benefit from their fame and social influence, and have mouthwatering access to the game’s grandest development plan and resources.
With all the cards stacked in their favor, Gilgeous-Alexander believes they shouldn’t whine about a simple back-to-back regular season skid.
“We don’t want to make excuses. We have the best jobs in the world. It sounds crazy but a little spoiled. We play basketball two nights in a row and get paid to do so,” the Thunder superstar said in his postgame interview after powering OKC against Miami with 25 points and 7 boards.
“It’s so insane. We have an amazing opportunity. We’re blessed to be in this position.”
Understanding privilege and opportunities
The talks and discussion around load management couldn’t be more polarizing to tackle in this era of NBA basketball. With most teams and players taking precautionary measures by being inactive in games to avoid injuries, many fans and experts are becoming enraged at how this has completely impacted the league’s relevance and viewership today.
Yet for Gilgeous-Alexander, it’s still important for players to acknowledge their privileges and understand the living of most of the regular people in the world.
“Humility and being humble was like always the first thing. And just being grateful for your opportunity. So many people in the world don’t have the same opportunities that I’ve had as a kid growing up, and I do today. Not to say my life’s been perfect by any means, but it’s been better than a lot to always be grateful,” Gilgeous-Alexander added, who is a son of two former sports athletes.
“If you look at life through that lens, usually good things happen to you.”
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