“Acting like it’s yours” – Shai Gilgeous-Alexander trolls his dad after he refuses to let go of WCF MVP trophy

Throughout Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s career, his father Vaughn has been one of his biggest supporters. When SGA and the OKC Thunder defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 5 on Wednesday to advance to the NBA Finals, Vaughn was right there with his son — and a brief moment of trolling ensued.

The moment happened shortly after Gilgeous-Alexander was named the Western Conference Finals MVP. As he and his father posed for the cameras, SGA couldn’t help but notice that Vaughn couldn’t keep his fingers off the Magic Johnson trophy.

“You actin’ like it’s yours,” Gilgeous-Alexander prodded Vaughn.

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Playing along with the joke, Vaughn pretended to stuff the trophy in his pocket, prompting some hearty laughter from his son.

As far as family legacy goes, Gilgeous-Alexander essentially had sports in his blood. Vaughn played hoops in his youth, while SGA's mother Charmaine was a sprinter who competed at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.

Gilgeous-Alexander's lineage found itself in the spotlight during the Western Conference Finals as his cousin Nickeil Alexander-Walker — whose mother Nicole is Vaughn's sister — was a key reserve for the Timberwolves.

In the Thunder's 4-1 series win, SGA outperformed his cousin and just about everybody else on both sides. Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 31.4 ppg on 45.7% shooting from the field, along with 5.2 rebounds and 8.2 assists in this year's Western Conference Finals.

With the Thunder favored over either team that could make it out of the East, it's certainly possible that Vaughn will soon be clutching a Finals MVP trophy awarded to his son in a matter of weeks.

"Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is taking it": Charles Barkley comments on so-called "face of the league" title

Another trophy that was handed to SGA over the past week was the 2025 NBA MVP award. A few days after Gilgeous-Alexander was named MVP, TNT analyst Charles Barkley weighed in on the so-called "face of the league" debate.

"Hey ESPN, I love you guys. Don't try to make Anthony Edwards the face of the NBA," Barkley said before Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals. "The face of the NBA is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Joker and Giannis. You can't give it to people, they have to take it, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is taking it."

SGA certainly took it to the Timberwolves, and when the NBA Finals begin next week, the reigning MVP will perhaps take his game to an even higher level as he competes for his first championship.

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About the author

Simoun Victor Redoblado

Simoun Victor Redoblado is an NBA and WNBA journalist at Sportskeeda with over 12 years of experience writing for publications such as Collider, ALL-STAR Magazine, and Sir Charles in Charge.

Simoun has a bachelor's degree in Secondary Education, Major in English and Minor in journalism. Thanks to the journalism courses that he took, Simoun understood the fundamentals of journalistic storytelling in the context of sports writing.

Passionate for the UP Fighting Maroons, Simoun is a fan of the NBA, PBA, UAAP, and FIBA.
His childhood team was the Chicago Bulls and Simoun was a longtime supporter of the Houston Rockets because his friends would say he looked like Yao Ming.

Simoun loves the systematic, tactical movement of the ball and the players, the stories behind each individual competing on the hardcourt and most of all, how basketball is a sport for life and all its struggles and lessons.

A father of two, Simoun spends his free time with his kids.

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