LeBron James won his first two MVPs in Years 6 and 7. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander won his first MVP in Year 7, and he’s about to win another in Year 8.
James won his first two NBA titles in Years 9 and 10. If the Thunder repeats, SGA will have won his first two rings — like his first two MVPs — in Years 7 and 8.
James is either the best or second-best player in the history of the game, and Gilgeous-Alexander, whose rise to stardom was much more gradual than James’, is pacing to be an all-time great himself.
With Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets out of the playoffs, we can all agree that SGA is the best player remaining in the postseason. James, 14 years SGA’s elder, used to hold that title annually.
Gilgeous-Alexander was asked about James on the eve of Game 1 of Thunder-Lakers — a series that will pit two greats in diverging stages of their careers.
“We can sit here all day and talk about things he’s done for the game,” SGA said Monday. “The guy’s one of the best players to ever pick up a basketball, like in the history of human beings.”
Since James Naismith figured out a way to repurpose a peach basket.
“You guys don’t need me to sit here and tell you how great of a player LeBron James is … obviously he’s a little bit out of his prime, but he’s still very, very capable,” SGA said.
Marcus Smart leads former OSU Cowboys in NBA playoff games
Marcus Smart has been a playoff mainstay ever since the Celtics selected the former Oklahoma State guard with the sixth pick in the 2014 NBA Draft.
In 12 NBA seasons, the 32-year-old has played in 10 postseasons.
A first-year Laker, Smart was excellent in Round 1 against the Rockets. He averaged 14.7 points, 5.5 assists and 3.7 rebounds. Smart started all six games.
Expect the aging defensive ace to get a heavy dose of SGA in Round 2 against the Thunder.
Here’s where Smart ranks among former Cowboys in number of NBA playoff games:
1. Marcus Smart: 114. Smart played in 108 playoff games in his nine seasons as a Celtic. He ranks 15th among active players in playoff games. LeBron James is No. 1 with 298.
2. Tony Allen: 112. Fifty-six games with the Celtics. Fifty-six games with the Grizzlies.
3. John Starks: 96. Starks played in fewer games, but he logged almost 900 more playoff minutes than Allen.
4. Richard Dumas: 26. The Tulsa native made 20 playoff starts as a rookie for the 1992-93 Suns, which lost to Michael Jordan’s Bulls in the NBA Finals.
5. Bob Harris: 21. Harris played for the Fort Wayne Pistons and the Boston Celtics in the early 1950s.
Where Austin Reaves ranks among former Sooners in playoff points
From Newark, Arkansas, to Wichita State, to OU, to the Los Angeles Lakers. It’s been quite the rise for Austin Reaves, who went undrafted in 2021 after averaging 18.3 points in his senior season with the Sooners.
Now he’s one of the savviest scorers in the NBA. Reaves averaged a career-high 23.3 points in 51 games this season.
With Luka Doncic (hamstring) out, Reaves, along with LeBron James, will have to be a consistent source of offense for the Lakers if they’re to have any chance of hanging with the Thunder.
Here’s where Reaves, playing in his fourth postseason in five years with the Lakers, ranks among former Sooners in NBA playoff points.
1. Blake Griffin: 1,238. The Lob City Clippers always came up short, but man were they fun to watch. Griffin was the biggest reason why.
2. Alvan Adams: 1,076. The pride of Putnam City, Adams was a Suns lifer.
3. Mookie Blaylock: 769. Blaylock had a higher career scoring average in the playoffs (14.2 points per game) than he did in the regular season (13.5).
4. Trae Young: 713. Young is only five years removed from being the best player on an Eastern Conference Finals team.
5. Garfield Heard: 602. Playing for the Buffalo Braves, Bulls and Suns.
6. Clifford Ray: 496. Ray was the leading rebounder on the Warriors’ 1975 title team.
7. Austin Reaves: 472. Reaves has averaged 16.9 points in 28 career playoff games.
Taking a spin on Tankathon
We’ve reached the point in the NBA calendar when ping-pong balls take center stage. The NBA draft lottery will be conducted at 2 p.m. Sunday.
Time to take our old friend, tankathon.com, for a spin (or 10). The Thunder, which owns the Clippers’ pick from the interminable Paul George trade, has a 7.1% chance of landing a top-four pick, including a 1.5% chance at the No. 1 pick.
I did 10 lottery simulations Monday morning.
Spin 1
- Miami
- Washington
- Brooklyn
- Utah
Whoa! One spin in, and a team with a 1% chance of winning the lottery lands the No. 1 pick. Chalk it up to #HeatCulture.
Spin 2
- Memphis
- Washington
- Brooklyn
- Indiana
The Grizzlies have never had the No. 1 pick.
Spin 3
- Indiana
- Memphis
- Washington
- Brooklyn
From the NBA Finals to the first pick.
Spin 4
- Utah
- Sacramento
- Dallas
- Indiana
Welcome to the Jazz, AJ Dybantsa.
Spin 5
- Indiana
- Memphis
- Golden State
- Utah
New life for the Warriors as the Steph Curry era nears its end.
Spin 6
- Sacramento
- Washington
- Chicago
- Brooklyn
What a sad collection of teams. Surely Sacramento wouldn’t mess this up.
Spin 7
- Oklahoma City
- Chicago
- Atlanta
- Sacramento
It isn’t fair.
Spin 8
- Atlanta
- Indiana
- Dallas
- Washington
The Hawks pick first for the second time in three years. They’ll get someone better than Zaccharie Risacher.
Spin 9
- Indiana
- Atlanta
- Brooklyn
- Washington
What do the Wizards have to do to get the No. 1 pick?!?!
Spin 10
- Brooklyn
- Sacramento
- Washington
- Atlanta
Brooklyn, Washington and Indiana all have a 14% chance at the No. 1 pick. Even the best odds aren’t all that good.
Joe Mussatto is a sports columnist for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Joe? Email him at jmussatto@oklahoman.com. Support Joe’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.
Thunder vs. Lakers
GAME 1 TIPOFF: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Paycom Center (NBC, Peacock)
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: SGA reflects on LeBron James’ legacy ahead of Thunder-Lakers series