Thunder Fans name baby after Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams
11/25/2024 04:38 PM
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and the Oklahoma City Thunder have a unique fanbase. The Paycom Center is home to some of the loudest fans in the NBA. When Jalen Williams or one of his Thunder teammates bark, they bark back, and when a couple of fans have a boy, they name it on Gilgeous-Alexander and Williams' behalf. The child's father told SGA himself before receiving an autograph from the 2024 MVP candidate.
The video from the exchange between the parents and All-Star guard was posted on social media, per Courtside Buzz's Instagram.
"We named him Jalen Alexander… We named him after you and JDub," the fan told Gilgeous-Alexander.
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With Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's name having technically two first names to choose from, pairing it with JDub's, Jalen has a nice ring, and baby Jalen Alexander should grow up to become a big Thunder fan. The parents will undoubtedly share the experience of telling Shai in person the origins of the child's name. And perhaps they'll look back on the 2024-25 campaign as unforgettable as Oklahoma City is 12-4 and tied with the Golden State Warriors for first place.
Lou Williams' 'media darling' take on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Thunder All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was impressed by Isaiah Hartenstein's season debut with a 109-99 win against the Trail Blazers. Gilgeous-Alexander is having an impressive 2024-25 campaign thus far. While it's not always discussed among the NBA's elite players, FanDuel's analyst Lou Williams thinks the lack of hype surrounding his production is ideal.
"He probably prefers it like that. He's a background type of guy. Talk is cheap. He don't need the hype anyways. Let the 28, six, and five that you're averaging tell your story," Williams said. "That's how he's always been. He's not a media darling. Even when he does his interviews, they do it as a team. They do it by committee. Everything is team-oriented. So, I think he prefers not to be mentioned so much in the individual things."
Averaging 28.7 points, 6.3 assists, 5.1 rebounds, 1.8 steals, and 1.1 blocks, Gilgeous-Alexander is having another MVP-caliber season.
"When it comes to his talent, let the numbers do the talking," Williams added. "Keep racking up everything that you can. And then, when you're at the end of the season, and you're in MVP talks, that's when everybody will start talking again. Until then, talk is cheap."
The Thunder's four-game holiday road trip begins against the Kings on Monday.
The post Thunder Fans name baby after Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams appeared first on ClutchPoints.
