After an MVP and NBA championship, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander skyrocketed to the top of the conversation for the greatest player in Oklahoma City Thunder history. Even though the franchise isn't even two decades old, it's had quite a rich history filled with former MVP winners and title contenders.
If you ask the average Thunder fan about Gilgeous-Alexander's spot in OKC's lore, he's at the top. He has the right mix of individual excellence and team success to usurp any other candidate. But if you asked the reigning MVP himself, he went with a modest approach.
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Celebrating being named Sports Illustrated's 2025 Sportsperson of the Year, Gilgeous-Alexander was asked to name his Thunder Mt. Rushmore. Also, another way to ask who he thinks is the all-time quartet in OKC history.
Gilgeous-Alexander's answer may surprise you. He went with Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, James Harden and Paul George.
Eh, I think he knows he belongs. But he went the nice route. Considering Gilgeous-Alexander is on his way to his fourth straight superb-efficient 30-point campaign with a strong chance to win back-to-back MVPs, he's easily at the top of the list already.
Now, who'd get bumped out for Gilgeous-Alexander? It's probably either George or Harden. If you asked me, the latter should get excluded. He only spent his first three seasons in OKC with a Sixth Man of the Year trophy as his only hardware. He later developed into a future Hall-of-Famer, but that happened elsewhere.
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Regardless of the choice, the fact that the Thunder have this talented a group of candidates shows how they've been one of the more successful NBA franchises since they relocated to OKC in 2008. A Larry O'Brien trophy was the last item on their bucket list. Gilgeous-Alexander crossed that off for them last year.
This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Who is on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's OKC Thunder Mt. Rushmore?

5 days ago
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