Sam Presti’s lesson for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander started with a children’s book and ended with a trophy case.
At home, the Oklahoma City Thunder star keeps a tortoise statue alongside the hardware that now defines his career. It came from the same general manager who once sent him down a very different path: not a stack of advanced scouting notes, but a kids’ version of “The Tortoise and the Hare.”
Gilgeous-Alexander told ESPN before Oklahoma City’s opener against San Antonio that he went into Presti’s office expecting a serious reading assignment. What he got instead was something simpler, and the message was immediate once it clicked.
SGA, this bucket was FILTHY 😮💨 https://t.co/v7SbSXk3Fa pic.twitter.com/YsovUS7g2S
— NBA (@NBA) October 21, 2026
“My journey resonates a lot with that,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “It just kind of made sense.”
That was the point all along. Presti’s lesson was about patience, about development that doesn’t need to sprint to matter. It fit the Thunder’s rebuild, and it fit Gilgeous-Alexander’s rise through it.
The early years were not clean or easy. Plantar fasciitis cut into his second season in Oklahoma City, and the Thunder finished 22-50.
Around the league, Luka Doncic, Trae Young, and Ja Morant were already drawing the spotlight as the young guards everyone wanted to talk about. Gilgeous-Alexander believed he belonged in that group.
Presti believed it too, while still sticking to his long view.
That shared vision eventually showed up in contract form in 2021, when Gilgeous-Alexander signed a $172 million extension over five seasons. He had not made an All-Star team yet, and the deal did not include a player option.
The production caught up soon after. In 2022-23, he averaged 31.4 points and earned his first All-Star selection. Oklahoma City then moved from 57 wins to 68, with Presti adding Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein after the 2024 playoff exit.
Then came the finish line: the 2024-25 championship, along with MVP, scoring, and Finals MVP honors for Gilgeous-Alexander.
Presti later handed over the tortoise statue, turning that early office conversation into a permanent reminder of how the whole thing unfolded. To Gilgeous-Alexander, it all comes down to a relationship built on equality, not hierarchy.
“It feels like a partnership,” he said. “I don't work for him.
He doesn't work for me. We're in this thing together.”
In Other News...
Shai Just Gave Thunder Fans A New Reason To Respect Him
Shai Gilgeous-Alexanders scoring run had become one of the most remarkable constants in the league, so when it finally came to an end in the Thunders second game of the 2026-27 season against Denver, it carried some extra weight in Oklahoma City. He finished with 17 points, then spent the late stages of the fourth quarter on the bench as the game unfolded and the rotations shifted, ending a stretch that had quietly defined his consistency for a long time.
Mark Daigneault made clear he appreciated the way his star handled the moment. For Thunder fans, the bigger takeaway might be less about the streak itself and more about what Gilgeous-Alexander chose not to do in order to protect it, a small decision that said plenty about how he views the game and the standard he wants to play by. [Read more 🡒]
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The timing matters because the Thunder are already operating at their two-way limit, a restriction that previously kept them from adding Dalton Knecht. With that kind of roster squeeze, Owehs situation is no longer just about recovery, but about whether Oklahoma City decides it can afford to keep a spot tied up by a player who is expected to miss significant time. [Read more 🡒]
Thunder Two-Way Move Just Put One Young Player On The Bubble
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For Oklahoma City, the move is simple on paper but tricky in practice because a two-way opening has to be created first. One of Brooks Barnhizer, Josh Dix or Otega Oweh is now in line to lose his place, which is the sort of transaction that underscores how crowded the Thunders developmental pipeline has become. Peavys own journey has had some bumps along the way, too, making this a fresh start for a player still trying to carve out a stable foothold. [Read more 🡒]