Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander soars up Kendrick Perkins’ all-time rankings

Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s dominance as one of the best players in the NBA has garnered serious recognition from former player Kendrick Perkins.

The current NBA analyst for ESPN released a new episode of the Perk Unplugged show. Perkins has Gilgeous-Alexander already in his all-time top 20 players in NBA history, and with another MVP and NBA title, he has him in the top 15.

“SGA, he’s about to probably, most likely, capture this MVP Award. Once he does, to me he’s already a top 20 greatest player of all-time. I don’t give a f—k what nobody says. He’s top 20 greatest player of all-time already. I don’t give a damn what nobody has to say,” Perkins said at the 42:51 mark.

“If SGA goes on to win a back to back championship, and look, I don’t have no pick to win it this year, and you know how I feel about SGA, that’s my dog, I think them and the Spurs are going to duke it out, seven games, I’m giving the edge to the Spurs. If that smooth mother f—er goes on to win another championship, back to back bro, and another finals MVP, s—t, he’s going to move into that top 15.”

What lies ahead for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has made a name for himself as one of the best players in the game. The Thunder will hope to continue seeing him flourish as their franchise superstar while enjoying their best stretch since the early-to-mid 2010s.

Oklahoma City ended the 2025-26 regular season with a 64-18 record, their second straight 60-win campaign. They secured the best record in the league, including the Western Conference standings. They finished above the San Antonio Spurs and the Denver Nuggets.

The Thunder will look forward to defending their title as they begin their playoff journey this year. They begin the first round against the 8-seeded team, who could feature Phoenix, Portland, Los Angeles, or Golden State.

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