SGA Credits Chris Paul's 'Get-Better Mentality' For Thunder Success Amid Historic Run

Oklahoma City Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander gave credit to Chris Paul for the team's success in recent years.

"Chris really was the first person to show me what it meant to be a professional," Gilgeous-Alexander said, per ESPN's Tim MacMahon. "He was always doing extra. It was more so off the court than on the court. It was the things you don't think about as a kid. As a kid, you're taught to just work super hard, but you're not really taught nutrition and taking care of your body, getting massages, getting treatment, those type of things he was always on top of.

"He just always had a get-better mentality in every way, in every way of life."

Gilgeous-Alexander and Paul were teammates on the Thunder during the 2019-20 season, with the reigning MVP in the midst of his second year in the NBA at the time.

Expectations weren't high for Oklahoma City entering that season, with the team moving on from Russell Westbrook and Paul George during the prior offseason.

Led by Paul and Gilgeous-Alexander, the Thunder surprisingly made the playoffs with a 44-28 record and narrowly fell to the Houston Rockets in five games during the first round of the postseason.

Gilgeous-Alexander went from recording 10.8 points per game as a rookie to 19.0 points per game while sharing the backcourt with Paul, beginning a trajectory in which his scoring average increased in each of the ensuing three seasons.

While the Thunder failed to record more than 24 wins in either of the two years immediately following Paul's departure, they used their high draft picks to add key contributors including Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams.

Oklahoma City then broke out with a 57-win season during its 2023-24 campaign before capturing a championship to cap off its 2024-25 season. This year, the Thunder own the best record in the NBA at 23-1.

As for Paul, he opened this season with the Los Angeles Clippers before the team sent him home and announced its intention to part ways with him on Dec. 3. ESPN's Shams Charania reported that Paul's leadership style "clashed" with Los Angeles prior to his exit.

Paul clearly led by example during his one season in Oklahoma City, though.