Shai Gilgeous-Alexander gets ‘chef’s kiss’ from brother as Thunder star pays ultimate tribute ahead of NBA Finals

The stage is set for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the OKC Thunder for the 2025 NBA Finals. The Thunder are scheduled to start the seven-game series against the Indiana Pacers on Thursday. Ahead of Game 1, Converse released a new colorway for Gilgeous-Alexander’s signature shoe, the Shai 001.

The new colorway is called Masi Blue, a tribute to his younger brother, Thomasi. Like the 2025 MVP, Thomasi is also a hooper and wanted to follow in his brother’s footsteps.

On Wednesday, Gilgeous-Alexander posted a new colorway of his signature line on his Instagram account.

"SHAI 001 : MASI BLUE," SGA posted. "Dedicated to the one that remains stoic and as cool as ice under pressure, my brother Masi. This one is for you."

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His brother recognized the dedication and had a "chef's kiss" reaction in the comments section.

"Masi blueeeeee," the younger Gilgeous-Alexander said.

The Thunder star's younger brother played three years of college basketball. His first two seasons were at Evansville, where he averaged 2.3 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.1 assists. His final year of college was at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College during the 2021-22 season, where he registered 5.4 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.9 assists.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's brother had his highlight reel resurface

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's brother spent his final year of college at Canta Monica City College. He graduated in February and his highlight reel was posted on X (formerly Twitter).

Thomasi Gilgeous-Alexander showed off his ability to finish through contact, similar to how SGA does it. He's assertive inside the paint and is strong enough to make tough shots despite the physicality of the defense.

Take a look at the video below to see how good the Thunder star's brother is.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had high praise from a former NBA champion before the NBA Finals

There's a lot of expectation for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to perform at the highest level now that he led the OKC Thunder to the Finals. Before the start of the series, former NBA champion Tony Allen spoke highly of the star.

He compared him to the late Kobe Bryant and even mentioned him as someone similar to Michael Jordan.

“SGA, he’s been so Kobe [Bryant]-like to me, man. You know, last I was saying is [Michael] Jordan. I was throwing that around, but he got the mindset of to seek and destroy,” Allen said.

Despite the hate he's been getting, there are still a few people who admire SGA and the way he has led the Thunder. With the Larry O'Brien trophy in sight, he has the chance to silence his critics if he wins.

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About the author

Reign Amurao

Reign Amurao specializes in basketball at Sportskeeda, bringing 3 years of experience to his role and a Bachelor's Degree in Communication.

A fervent supporter of the Phoenix Suns, Reign was hooked to their electrifying "Seven-Seconds-Or-Less" offense, which epitomizes high-paced and high-intensity basketball. For Reign, Steve Nash is the ultimate floor general, and he believes Boris Diaw could've been the next Magic Johnson if he had a bit more discipline. 

From Reign's perspective, Anthony Edwards is a 90s player stuck in modern times, and Gregg Popovich is an ultimate winner with unparalleled success and leadership in the sport.

Reign's expertise lies in NBA history, particularly the significant moments and trends of the 2000s and 2010s. He prioritizes in-depth research using only credible sources to maintain accuracy in his articles, and avoids misleading topics.

Beyond basketball, Reign enjoys gaming with friends and watches comedy shows and films.

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