Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder is now an MVP, Finals MVP, and NBA champion.
He is clearly one of the best players in the league with the right sort of temperament to win.
Charles Barkley spoke about Gilgeous-Alexander and compared him to Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and LeBron James.
Barkley said that Gilgeous-Alexander is “great” but also stated that he isn’t “dangerous” like Jordan and Bryant were.
Instead, he’s a “nice guy” like James.
“The three best players I’ve ever seen are Michael [Jordan], Kobe [Bryant], and LeBron [James], and I’ll tell you the difference between the three. Michael and Kobe were dangerous. They will kill your a–. LeBron is a nice guy, and that’s not a knock. He’s still great, great, great, but he’s a nice guy. Michael and Kobe weren’t nice guys. They’re different. The one thing about OKC, even though I think Shai [Gilgeous-Alexander] is a great, great player. To me, he’s more like LeBron. He’s a really nice guy. He’s not out there trying to kill you,” Barkley said of Gilgeous-Alexander.
Charles Barkley says Shai Gilgeous-Alexander isn’t a ‘killer’ like Michael Jordan or Kobe, and that he’s more of a nice guy like LeBron
“The three best players I’ve ever seen are Michael [Jordan], Kobe [Bryant], and LeBron [James], and I’ll tell you the difference between the… pic.twitter.com/Mlb2BfJWeP
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) September 3, 2025
Whether he’s nice or not, Gilgeous-Alexander is a champion, and that counts for a lot.
He has found a way to beat the best teams in the league and win it all, and he has done so while being friendly with his teammates and peers.
Gilgeous-Alexander and James have proven that players don’t have to be harsh or cuthroat in order to be champions.
This approach works and is just as valid as being ruthless and aiming to “kill” opponents.
Gilgeous-Alexander is still young, and he could change the way he plays.
Perhaps he will become more of a killer in the future, like Jordan and Bryant.
But even if he doesn’t, no one can dispute that he’s one of the best in the game right now and is a favorite to become a champion again.
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