Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said on May 5 that he is not underestimating LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers as the Oklahoma City Thunder prepare to face them in the playoffs. The Lakers recently advanced after a first-round win over the Houston Rockets, setting up a matchup with the defending champions.
Gilgeous-Alexander emphasized that despite being underdogs, the Lakers are playing well and have significant experience. “They’re playing really well right now, regardless of who’s out there,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “They’re well-coached. LeBron has been in this situation — this level of games — more than anybody else in the NBA. We don’t take them lightly. To make it this far in the season, you can get beaten by anybody on any given night. We know, going into this matchup, we have to take them seriously.”
He also spoke about his team’s focus leading up to the series: “We’ve got to put our best foot forward. That’s what we’ve been focused on all week, getting better, making sure that we are a better team at the end of this week than we were last week. I think we did so.”
Gilgeous-Alexander praised James for his career achievements: “I mean, we could sit here all day and talk about all that he’s done for the game,” he said. “Guy is one of the best players to ever pick up a basketball in the history of human beings… You guys don’t need me to sit here and tell you how great of a player LeBron James is.”
Neither team has provided material for extra motivation ahead of their playoff series as both sides acknowledge each other’s strengths. While both teams may be missing key players at times during these playoffs, they remain focused on competing at their highest level.
James previously commented on his respect for Oklahoma City earlier in the season when he called them favorites to repeat as champions: “I would agree, I would agree with you when it comes to OKC,” James said during his ‘Mind the Game’ podcast after Steve Nash suggested Oklahoma City was favored.
“I think they’ve shown the level of excellence over the last few years and playing at a high level and not getting complacent… It doesn’t mean they’ve won every game, but they’ve won a majority of them and they’re reigning champs with MVP on their team. So you look at them as team to beat…and that’s rightfully so.”